Fomicry
by Nijuu
Summary: Luke Fon Fabre gets replicated, but the replica is nothing more than a defect. While a scholar studies the cause and effect of the transfer, he also feels remorse for the forbidden art he created. Shonenai romance. Spoilers warning and more inside.
1. Intro : Residence of Rebus

FOMICRY

_"The story of one man's wish and another man's worth."_

A/N: Okay, first ToA story ever since Lovelight was interrupted. So by special request from Maiyama, I guess I'll have to post. This will be a most likely 11-12 chapter story, maybe more. Warnings include: possible and most likely OOC, shonen-ai, violence and blood (if you don't like blood, plz don't read), and of course, my trademark extreme cheesiness. Try to enjoy regardless. If not, I'll remove.

**Introduction - Residence of Rebus**

The aphotic room was silent except for the monotonous hum of the nearby machines. An eerie green light radiated from the apparatus, giving a faint glow to the area. In the room, a man was seated at a desk, reading over research papers. The sound of shifting papers broke the banausic silence, dexterous fingers flipping through page after page of small font crammed with information. A pair of blood red eyes glanced at the nearest clock, which showed eleven-thirty p.m.

The man jumped at the sound of the monsterous front doors slamming open on another floor. Shuffling of feet was heard, as well as rebellious protests and obvious retaliation. The pages were set down and the figure hit a switch on the wall, opening a pair of sliding doors. Three more people entered, two of them holding what appeared to be a young boy, who was struggling uselessly against their grasps.

"Grr, let me go! Who are you people?!" The boy continued to fight in vain and the other two men grunted to maintain control. "What do you want from me?!"

"Jade! Activate the replicating machine and...find something to shut this kid up!" one figure barked to the one who had been seated earlier. Jade followed the commands in confusion, flipping a set of switches on a control panel a few steps away. The machines hummed to life and the boy was seated in a chair, much to his anger.

"My uncle won't let you freaks get away with this! I demand you let me go right now!" The boy was silenced by a sharp slap on the face.

"Silence, Luke," the other person said. "This is for your own good, so calm down and stop resisting."

"Master Van, this is insane! What's going on?" A hint of plea was in the boy's voice and his turquoise eyes shone with frustration. "Can't you tell me?"

Jade walked over to the child with a syringe that held an unfriendly burgundy liquid dappled with black. Before Van could answer, Luke was pulled from his seat by his hair and the needle was jabbed into his neck. The red liquid was forced into the boy's bloodstream and a small cry of pain was the last thing he uttered before he fell into a state of shallow hypnosis.

"Dist, prepare the DNA transfer," Van ordered, to which Dist bowed and walked to his position behind the counter of mechanics. Van's hostile blue eyes shifted to Jade. "You, when I give the command, start the replication process and make sure nothing messes up." His hard voice echoed slightly in the near empty room, filled only with heavy machinery. Jade rolled his eyes and moved to his station.

"My name's not 'you'," he complained, his deft hands pushing buttons and pulling levers. Van carried the fallen Luke to a surface in the center of a solitary cylinder, glowing a pale green and pulsing with energy. "Van, what exactly are you doing? Fomicry is not meant to be used this way-"

A firm glance from the commandant cut Jade short. "I will use this art however I please. In doing this, I will escape the Score and start a revolution. You will not stand in my path." He too took place behind the counter.

"DNA transfer loading complete," Dist informed. Looking up from behind his glasses, his eyes fell on Jade. "We're waiting on you."

Jade looked at the panel of controls and held his breath for a moment. "DNA replicating session in progress." He pushed a small green button, and the computer's affirmitive response signaled the mistake he'd just made.

A hateful sneer appeared on Van's face, features accentuated by the bizarre lighting. They all watched the monitor that showed the DNA strands splitting and reforming with another. It hurt Jade to watch it, knowing he'd seen something so familiar in the past. Groaning softly, he turned from the monitor and closed his eyes. He removed his glasses and massaged his temples with gloved fingers. Something in his mind kept repeating, "_This is a mistake, this is a mistake._"

Dist pressed a light blue button, starting the transfer. Jade could stand it no longer and left the room, shooting Van one last frigid leer. "This is not what fomicry should be used for. It shouldn't be used at all." He closed the door with a bang. "Find another way to escape the Score."


	2. Chapter 1 : Meetings

_Chapter One - Meetings_

A/N: Forgot to mention spoilers. Now you can't say I didn't warn you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss.

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"Oh Jaaaaaaade!" Malkuth's emperor smiled brightly at his approaching assistant. "There you are! There's a letter for you." As Jade was about to take it from him, the emperor took it back playfully. "Nice try."

Jade folded his arms and gave the emperor a look. "Who's it from, sir?"

The leader wrinkled his nose at the name written in large, loopy cursive. "Some person named Dist." Jade sighed. "And you don't need to call me 'sir', I'm Peony."

"Alright then, _Peony._ May I have the letter?" His foot tapped impatiently and his gaze fixed on the emperor's clear azure eyes. "_Please?_"

Peony handed him the impeccable envelope. "Just be sure and tell me what this 'Dist' person wants when you're done." Jade bowed and left the room.

The note was unbelievably difficult to read, the rippling and uninterrupted cursive practically a different language to Jade. But nevertheless, it read: _Dear Jade, We have completed the replication of Luke Fon Fabre and wish for you to escort his replica to the Fon Fabre manor in Baticul. Meet Van and I in Choral Castle a little past noon today and be prepared to introduce yourself to our creation. I'm sure you'll be impressed as well as proud. Signed, Dist. P.S. Give Peony my regards._

Jade cringed at the way Dist called Luke's replica "our creation". He still felt guilty for the fomicry concept, but knew nothing would stop Van, and Dist. Checking the time, Jade returned to his chamber, where he set the message down and looked at himself in the mirror. "Be prepared to introduce yourself..." Jade paraphrased, combing his fingers through his dark amber hair. He was about to consider changing clothes when the automated voice transporter (a.k.a. "telephone") rang. "Jade Curtiss," he answered involuntarily.

"Well?" The emperor said expectantly.

"Dist wanted to see me around twelve-thirty today at...St. Binah. It's important, sir."

"That's Peony." The royalty's voice sounded sharp.

"My apologies."

"Fine, but why St. Binah?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. But I'll be fine, no need to check up on me," Jade replied a bit too suspiciously. "Er, I'll see you later." He hung up hurriedly.

The paths of Grand Chokmah were sparkling with sprinkled water, kissed by radiant sunlight. The sound of rushing water filled the square as Jade rushed across the pearly avenues. It was already noon, and the castle was further than it looked. Jade could only hope he wasn't interrupted.

"Colonel, wait up!" Jade cast a furtive glance over his shoulder before attempting to walk more briskly, away from the source of the voice. "Colonel!"

A hand caught Jade's shoulder, forcing him to turn around. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," Jade fibbed, looking away and adjusting his glasses.

It was Aslan Frings, Brigadier General of the country of Malkuth. "No problem. Where're you headed?"

"St. Binah, for business." Jade shuffled his feet and looked around nervously.

"Did you-"

"Yes, Peony knows all about it."

"When will-"

"I'll be back in three or four hours."

"...Alright, have a safe trip." Jade nodded and Frings dismissed himself.

--------

"Fashionably late as always, I see!" Dist exclaimed at sight of Jade. He was only shot a cold glare though. "Ahem, _this _is Luke. Luke Fon Fabre." Dist gave a pleased smile as he moved aside, exposing a ten year old child with flaming red hair. He looked exactly like the child in Van's arms, who was sleeping in exhaustion. Van gave a curt nod before returning into the castle, still holding the original Luke.

"Luke, this is Jade Curtiss. He'll be escorting you _back_ to your manor," Dist implied emphatically. Jade took the hint and knelt down in front of the scared boy.

"Nice to meet you, Luke. You can just call me Jade." He and Dist waited for the boy to reply, but he was silent. "Well, it's time to get back to your manor." Jade attempted to take Luke's hand, but the child resisted and tears formed in his artificial eyes.

"Wh-what manor? I'm scared. I don't remember anything. Who...who am I?" Luke burst out in sobs and sat helplessly on the dirt outside the old castle. Jade and Dist exchanged puzzled glances, both clueless about the mind of a replica child.

"D-do something!" Dist said, hoping Van wouldn't reappear.

"Like what? I-I don't know anything about children!" Jade retorted in absolute bewilderment.

"Come on, you're young! Figure it out!"

"I'm twenty-eight, Dist. And so are you!"

"Ha, the perfect age for understanding little kids!" Dist shrugged and pushed Jade toward the crying boy. "He's your responsibilty!"

Jade gave up arguing and approached Luke. "Um...Luke, calm down." He sighed at his pitiful attempt, knowing he wasn't heard. "Luke!"

The boy stopped momentarily, his voice only cracking out in irrepressbile chokes. "Huh?"

Looking back at Dist, who was ignoring him, Jade crouched in front of Luke. "I know you're confused, but try to calm down." He locked the child in an unexpected embrace, resting his head on Luke's shaking shoulder. Luke shifted uncomfortably, tears continued to stream down his smooth face and whispers of complaint were barely audible.

Suddenly, Jade leaned back and placed a gentle kiss on the boy's tear-stained cheek. The tears dissolved on his soft lips in attempt to hush Luke's anguish. Luke gasped quietly and Dist's eyes widened at the sight. Jade finally released his hold on the child and lifted his lips from his face. "Luke...please..."

Dist coughed and put his hands in his pockets casually. "Jade?"

His name snapped the man out of his state and Jade rose to his feet immediately. His head felt fuzzy and his vision unfocused for a second. Dist walked toward him and took a close look before breaking into a maniacal grin. "You're blushing, aren't you?!"

"Wha-? Dist! It's n-nothing like that!" Jade stammered, hiding his face from his friend. Dist doubled over laughing while Luke stared in puzzlement. "Dist! Stop laughing!"

"The kid's ten years old, Jade! Get real!" Dist was about to make another comment but a lurid glare reduced him to giggles. "Hee hee, don't you have a job to do?"

Jade shook the red from his face and turned back to Luke. "Yes, let's go. Are you okay?" To his surprise, a large smile formed on the child's face and Luke hugged Jade tightly around the waist. "Uh, Luke?"

"You're nice, Mister Curtiss! I feel a lot better now! Thanks!" The boy snuggled adamantly against Jade's waist in affection. Jade gave Dist a look.

"Is this kid ten or six?" Dist shrugged, and Jade shook his head. "Alright, alright. Let go so we can get moving. Say bye to Dist."

"Bye, Mister!" Luke gave an enthusiastic wave to Dist, who waved back cautiously. Jade took Luke's hand and the two started down the trail.

After a while of walking, Jade took a break in a shady spot under a tree. "Peony's going to be so mad if I don't show up on time..." he mumbled to himself. Luke sat next to Jade under the tree, breathing heavily. "Just a little futher and we'll be back in your kingdom."

"I'm telling you, I don't remember even having a kingdom!" Luke yelled, pulling at his bright hair. "It feels like I was just born." Jade bit his lip at the irony and averted his gaze to the distance.

"Just a little further." He stood and dusted himself off, then offered a hand to Luke. "Get up, we're almost there." Luke stayed seated however, still trying to catch his breath. "Luke, get up!"

"No! I'm tired! I'm taking a break!" The child folded his arms and remained firmly planted by the tree.

Jade smiled warmly, but gave Luke a warning look. "Get moving or I'll be forced to carry you the whole way."

Luke scoffed. "Whatever, I'm not walking anywhere." He closed his eyes, but gasped in shock when he felt himself picked up off the grass. "H-hey!"

"We've got to go, I'm not letting you slow me down." Jade held the boy close, ignoring the protests. Thankfully, Luke was as tired as he'd said and fell asleep in the man's arms. Because of Jade's solace earlier, Luke found it comforting to fall asleep in the grasp of the man who would be his security until they reached the Holy City of Light.

--------

At the gates of Baticul, Jade stated his reason and entered without too much argument. Luke continued to rest in his arms until they reached the entrance to the manor. Jade precariously entered, looking around for someone who would help him. He was then sighted by a blonde boy who looked about fourteen years old.

"Hey, can I help you with something?" the boy asked, keeping his blue eyes focused on Jade's red ones. Jade set Luke down and tried to wake him. "Oh, that's- Luke?" The boy looked at Luke, then back at Jade. "I'm sorry, what's your name again?"

"Jade Curtiss, Third Division Malkuth Imperial Forces." Jade extended a hand to the teenager, who grabbed it in trust. _Good, the kid's never heard of me..._

"I'm Guy Cecil, a servant for House Fabre." He smiled kindly, a naive honesty in his eyes. "Nice to meet you, Mister Curtiss."

"This is Luke, who was recently kidnapped by someone. I'm here to return him." Jade watched his tongue, careful not to let Dist or Van's names escape.

Guy's aqua eyes fell and he sighed. "Yeah, I heard about the kidnapping. I didn't think he was ever coming back." The light returned to his face when he looked back at the sleeping figure. "Thank you for returning him, I'm sure the duke and king will be thrilled to hear of this." Suddenly, a voice hollered out at them.

"Guy! Who's that?!" An old man waved at them nosily.

"Oh, that's Pere. Another servant. It's okay, Pere, it's just a visitor from Malkuth!" The shouting caused Luke to stir and his eyes fluttered open. "Ah! You're awake!"

"Wh-who are you?" Luke asked, standing up. Guy's face fell, and Jade shrugged.

"D-don't you remember me? Guy. Guy Cecil, your servant." Luke continued to stare at the boy sleepily, who eventually gave up. "I...guess you've been away too long."

Jade gave him an understanding smile. "I'll explain when we reach the duke and the king."

Luke gasped suddenly and took a long look around the manor. "Where am I? What's this? Who's that?" Again, he clung to Jade's waist tightly, keeping a safe distance from the stranger. "Jade?"

Trying to ignore the clinging boy, Jade took a deep breath. "We're back in the manor, your home. This is Guy, your servant, and we're about to go see the duke." He looked down at Luke. "Your father."

The redhead scratched his head in confusion. "My...father?" He looked up at the colonel innocently. "You're more of a father to me, anyway." Jade felt himself blush again, and Guy's jaw dropped.

Pere promptly emerged from the residence with a maid by his side. "Sir, the duke and His Majesty will see you now."

Luke grabbed the edge of Jade's coat, looking at Guy again. "I don't want to see these people, they're just a bunch of strangers..." Jade said nothing. "But I'll do it if you think I should. You're the only guide I have right now, Mister Curtiss."

Jade placed a hand on the duke's son's shoulder and smiled tenderly. "Please...just call me Jade."

The interior of the residence was formal and very neat, the floors flawlessly shiny and the windows like crystal. The king and his brother were seated at a long table, and the woman, Susanne, was standing behind the king. "Oh, Luke!" she cried, running forward and embracing him. Jade saw the boy stiffen and look to him for help. "Thank goodness you're safe, we've been so worried these past few days!"

Jade stepped forward and nodded to the king. "I'm Jade Curtiss of Malkuth. I'm here to return your son and inform you that he has amnesia. This traumatic event has left him without memory of his past." He bowed his head in sympathy, hoping the family would believe the lie.

"So that's why he didn't remember me..." Guy whispered to himself, staring in awe at the child he thought he knew. The duke shot him a firm glance.

"Guy, you're dismissed."

"Yes sir." Guy left the room quietly, giving one last look to the redhead. He closed the door gravely behind him.

"Ahem, thank you, we're so glad you returned our son to us safely," Duke Fabre announced, looking to Jade, then Susanne. "If you ever find out who did this atrocious crime, I'd like to hear from you. I will have them executed." The duke's rage was apparent, and his wife patted his shoulder to calm him down.

Checking his watch, Jade said, "Alright then, I should be going now. Thank you for your time." He turned on his heel and left, hoping to have to lie to the happy family no more. Outside, the sun was brightly shining on the manor and Jade knew it was time to be heading back, or Peony would send someone to check on him in St. Binah. But before he could leave, the doors opened again and Luke came running out.

"Wait, wait!" He caught up with Jade and blocked his path in the center of the manor. "Are you really leaving?!"

The servant, Guy, walked over to them. "It's okay, Luke. I'll be taking care of you from now on." His eyes turned to Jade. "Right?"

Jade nodded. "That's right, Luke, so behave yourself while I'm gone. These people are your family." Luke's expression grew angry and hurt. "Luke?"

"You're leaving for good, aren't you?" Luke stated, a twinge of pain in his voice. "Because you don't care about me."

"Luke, no. I care about you. But I have a duty and as a member of Malkuth, I couldn't stay here if I wanted to." He sighed hopelessly. "You're too young to understand it all."

Guy placed his hands on Luke's shoulders, but the boy shrugged him off rudely, walking closer to Jade. "Then will you come back and see me? Am I ever going to see you again?" Jade bit his lip at the sight of Luke's hope, the child's eyes wide with optimism.

"I might be able to come see you..." Jade averted his eyes unsurely, hoping to drop the subject.

"Promise me you'll come back!" Luke demanded, those frequent tears gathering in his eyes again.

"Promise me you'll remember me if I come back," Jade compromised.

"_When_ you come back," Luke corrected. "Which you'd better."

Jade smiled half-heartedly and reached into his pocket. "Alright, I promise to come see you if you remember me." He pulled out a small, off-white object and placed it in Luke's hands. "This might help."

The object was a porcelain statue that fit in Luke's hand perfectly. It was the shape of an owl and had no distinct features. It looked to be worth a lot of money. "That once belonged to someone very important to me," Jade informed, recalling the tragic incident painfully. Luke fingered the piece carefully, then clutched it firmly.

"This means so much to you..." Luke hugged Jade in desperation and squeezed his eyes shut. Tears were pushed onto Jade's teal suit, tainting tiny spots of navy. Jade stroked the boy's head fondly and looked up at Guy, who nodded.

"I have to go now. I'll return, don't worry." Luke finally let go of the colonel and wiped his tears carelessly. Jade walked away from the kingdom, looking back once to see Luke staring at him sorrowfully.

"I'll never forget you...Jade!'" he called, isolated tears sliding down his cheeks again.

Jade smiled weakly and waved to the two. Lifting a hand to his eye, he felt that he too was crying, and he knew why. He sighed and pulled his coat tighter as the wind blew steadily out of the north. Jade let himself cry, fearing he lacked the ability to keep his promise, and knowing he would not see Luke again.

----

A/N: Okay, I know that newborn replicas are supposed to have 0 knowledge, but how boring would that be? I just made Luke have a six year old IQ instead of 10 years, or 0 years. Seriously, it would be too weird if he couldn't talk or anything. And...I would be surprised if you don't know the couple yet. I kind of gave you a sign there. Also...TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS KIND OF STUFF IS VERY BORING AND HARD TO GET PAST! I'll have Chapter 2 up in a jiffy if you review!


	3. Chapter 2 : Obstacles

_Chapter Two - Obstacles_

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**6 Years Later**

Jade's eyes fluttered open, only to be greeted with darkness and a faint hint of light. Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, searching for his glasses. He'd fallen asleep doing paperwork again and his desk and chair had been his bed that night. He finally located his glasses and slipped them on, blinking to the adjustment. The room was dark except for a sliver of light from the blinded window. He pulled the shutter up and squinted at the light.

Checking the clock, it read noon. He was going to be in trouble. Still not fully awake, the automated voice transporter rang. "Jade Curtiss," he murmured through a yawn, stretching his arms over his head.

"Jade! Are you just now waking up?!" Peony's annoyed voice jeered accusingly. "Do you have any idea how late it is? What were you doing all night?!"

"I'm sorry, Peony. I just stayed up too late doing paperwork and fell asleep. I'll make it up to you." Jade rolled his eyes at the sight of his desk, which was in total disarray. "Just let me do some organizing first."

"Okay, well remember there's a meeting at two o'clock and you got a telegram this morning labeled 'urgent'. I'll get it to you. Also, there's another meeting for you tonight."

"What time is that?" The colonel began stacking related papers on his desk and collecting loose scraps. This was going to take a while.

"I'm not your secretary, figure it out!" Peony's line went dead.

The printer produced a small piece of white paper, which Jade immediatlely picked up. It read. "dear jade stop i need to see you at choral castle around two o clock pm today stop it has something to do with luke stop you had better be there stop from dist stop."

"Why did he use a telegram, of all things?" Jade mumbled to himself, setting it aside on another stack of papers. After several minutes of papers organizing, Jade stood and left his room, making his way to the main audience hall.

Peony was seated in his throne, talking to Sesemann. He immediately dismissed the old man at sight of Jade though. "You look...awful."

Jade glowered at his friend and took his place beside the throne. Finger-combing his hair, he turned to Peony. "I won't be able to make the meeting this afternoon, the telegram scheduled a more important assembely. I hope it's not too much trouble."

"Understood," Peony replied simply, staring at the wall across from him.

Jade paused. "...Something bothering you?"

The emperor sighed and scratched his head. "I...just want to know who you got the telegram from...and why this urgent business is going on and I don't get to know about it!" His voice held a beseeching tone, but he was irritated nonetheless. "And I'm the emperor..." Peony attempted to find Jade's eyes with his own pure cerulean ones. Jade was clearly trying to avoid the subject. "You ask me what's wrong and then you ignore me."

"It's not like that," Jade explained, stretching his back, which gave an unfriendly cracking sound. He sighed and straightened himself back up, shaking his head slightly. "I must be getting old."

"Nah, that's just what happens when you fall asleep on your desk," Peony argued. "You're only thrirty-four, that's still young."

Jade looked at him closely. "So are you. And I'm not ignoring you, I'm thinking about how you're right-"

"So you'll tell me?!" Peony interrupted, sitting up in this chair.

"...No, it's confidential. I'd be ashamed to tell you."

Peony sulked back in his chair and heaved a sigh. "I'd hoped I would at least be the one person you _could_ tell."

The colonel checked his watch and faced Peony. "I should be heading out now. Sorry about the meeting, and update me if anything happens." The emperor nodded solemnly and Jade bowed to him, then made his way out the door. To Choral Castle.

* * *

The place was as deserted as it had been six years ago, the last time he had been there. Jade stepped precariously onto the beaten path of gravel, listening for sounds of life. The rocks churned under his boots as he approached the silently fearsome monument. He glanced at his watch again. "I'm early."

"So am I." Dist stepped out from behind a nearby marble pillar, his expression unreadable. "Let's go."

They walked inside the abandoned building, not wasting time with monsters. Dist walked several paces ahead of Jade, leading the way to the lab. "If my calculations are correct, this DNA process we did on Luke had some problems, resulting in a possible genetic error. It's nothing too serious, as in it hasn't been affecting the replica for six years, but Van wanted a perfect copy and we should try to figure out what went wrong. That way, nothing else he replicates will go bad, which might result in destruction."

They entered the lab, the place a drab gray, and the machines only glowing with a sickly blue due to inactivity. Jade went behind a counter and blew the dust layer off the surface. "I don't want to get involved with Van's goal. While I may know about fomicry, I don't intend to use it like this along with him. And you can't make me." But his actions contradicted his words as he booted up the apparatus, the lime green glow returning.

Dist took out a test tube and shook the liquid inside. I could tell by looking that it was a sample of Luke's blood, the replica's. "Then do this for Luke. You like the kid after all," he sneered, pouring a drop of the substance onto a glass square for examination.

"I haven't seen him in years..." Jade muttered, watching the screen display a slide of red.

"This is the chemical makeup of the replica," Dist explained, letting Jade soak in the picture. Then he switched it with another sample, the other Luke's. "This is the original's. See the difference?" He turned to Jade, who was deep in though, and switched the slides back. "You can easily see the discrepancy in the cells."

Jade nodded. "So even though they may appear perfectly the same, there's still at least one difference in them." He turned to Dist. "And you're saying this hasn't affected Luke over the years?" Dist shook his head. "Alright then, what are we going to do?"

Dist straightened up and cleared his throat. "_You _are going to go to Baticul and get the replica back. We have to continue research on him." His eyes flashed for a moment. "I trust I can leave you to do that much?"

"You talk as if this is my fault," Jade retorted, examining his fingernails. "I'll go to Baticul immediately and get Luke back here."

"Then I'll leave the research to you also. I have plans, so I'll be out for a while." Little did Jade know his old friend was referring to God-General business.

"Fine by me, stay gone as long as you like." Jade snapped the machinery switch off tersely and stepped away. "I'm assuming you want me to make Luke the perfect replica when the research is complete." he said more declaratively than quizzically.

"That'd be splendid." Dist removed the blood samples and set them on an old table. As Jade walked over to him, he handed the samples to him. "Keep up with these."

Jade scoffed and fingered the test tubes indolently. "I'm probably more organized that you, I'm not going to lose them."

"You're organized with everything that's not important," Dist bit back, giving Jade a hatefel glare. Just then, the room became pitch black and the hum of the machines faded, along with a loud snap from above. The equipment's drone died down pitch by pitch, and soon went silent with a faint crackle. "...Great. Power's out."

"Does this always happen?" Jade asked, waving his hand in front of his face, to no avail. "Seems pretty...inconvenient."

"This is the second time it's happened, the first was last year." Dist sighed but didn't move. "I was alone then."

Jade couldn't help but grin. "Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark."

"N-no! It was just more difficult! Anyway, let's get out of here." It was obvious Dist was nervous about something.

"Actually, I think it'd be better to wait here until the power comes back on. We wouldn't want to run into anything important and break it."

"What? I can see fine!" The sound of breaking glass was heard about four feet from Jade. "...Really."

Jade sighed. "Give me your hand," he said, extending his arm to where he thought Dist was. Reluctantly, Dist placed his bloody hand in Jade's and winced at the pressure he applied. "You're so careless." Dist said nothing. "Do you really think Luke is going to go along with these examinations so easily?"

"I think if you tell him it's for the sake of his health, he'll comply." Dist flushed slightly as Jade pulled him closer.

"What about his family? They've only seen him for six years since the event. They might not want to let him go again." Jade's voice was serious and heavy with truth.

"You always manage to pick out the worst case. They should remember you and realize that since you returned their son, you can be trusted. Just tell them...he's been drafted into the military. He's what, eighteen now?"

"Sixteen."

"Whatever. Tell them that. It'll work. That way, they won't be able to check on him or anything." The force on his wound lifted to a light press, and then a gentle stroke. "Jade..."

"Alright, if you think we can get away with re-kidnapping him, then I'll do it." He continued to assuage the injury, easing the soreness carefully.

"It's not kidnapping if he's willing to go with you. Besides, I'll bet he's bored to death in the manor." Dist's eyes began to adjust and he looked over at Jade. His eyes were closed in concentration.

"You may be right. I guess we'll see." He felt Dist lean against him involuntarily and let go of his hand, opening his eyes. His friend's breathing became relaxed and the room grew quiet. "You didn't fall asleep, did you?"

"No, no," Dist mumbled, dozing off. "By the way, my hand feels better. I didn't think you could heal."

Jade smiled. "It's just a trick I learned somewhere." Dist nodded. "...How long do these lights usually take to come back-"

Suddenly, the lights flickered to life and the surrounding devices revved awake. Dist woke immediately and sprang away from Jade, who was looking around the interior of the room for the cause. "Well, had I known you just had to command it, I would've done that a long time ago."

"Ahem, go get Luke. Keep me posted, and I'll see you later." The man left without another word, and Jade put the blood samples in his pocket.

He stepped into the thicket of trees that engulfed the castle and ran for the fields. Baticul was a long way, but as long as Luke remembered his promise, Jade had an incentive to go there, because he'd remembered his.

* * *

Baticul was heavily guarded because of war preparations, but Jade got in nonetheless. The manor was pleasant, the clear air greeting the people outside. Bright sunlight shone down from high in the sky, basking the greenery in warmth.

As Jade walked toward the building, he was spotted by someone, who waved and yelled at him. They raced over and welcomed him with a smile. "Are you looking for someone?" The man's eyes were bright blue, and his hair a milky gold. He looked to be about twenty, and Jade recognized him almost immediately.

"Guy..." he said to himself, looking at how the boy had changed. Guy was taken aback and his eyes widened.

"H-how did you know my name?" he asked, apparently astonished. Then he calmed down and looked at Jade closely. "Come to think of it, you look pretty familiar...but...I don't know. I can't place it. Anyway, do you need to see someone?"

"Yes, I desire a conference with Duke Fabre. It concerns his son, Luke." Jade bit his lip nervously. _This had better work._

"Alright, please follow me, Mister...?" Guy raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Curtiss, Jade Curtiss."

"Right, okay. Sorry about that." They walked into the Drawing Room where Duke Fabre was seated, talking to his wife. "This is Jade Curtiss," Guy introduced.

The duke stood and shook his hand firmly. "It's good to see you again, Colonel," he said with a pleased smile. "Please have a seat." Jade complied.

"It's nice to see you too, sir. Where's Luke?" Jade looked around, and Susanne turned to a maid.

"Please go get Luke from his room," she instructed before the maid curtsied and skimpered off. She turned her attention back to Jade. "What matters do you have to discuss?"

"Luke has been requested to-," Jade just remembered something. "Um, have a health check-up, concerning his amnesia. I heard you'd asked him to keep a diary, and we'd like to see how well he's been keeping up with it."

The duke rubbed his chin in thought. "Why would they send a Malkuth colonel to make such a request?"

"It is because of health research we're doing in Malkuth, and since I have close relations with the emperor, he sent me. This amnesia data may come in handy for possibly coming up with a cure." These white lies would catch up to him someday, he suspected.

Susanne nodded. "I see, that makes sense. Well, we'll let Luke decide when he gets here."

"It's been six years since the incident, a reasonable amount of time for him to have written some progress in his diary." Jade flipped his hair behind his shoulder in distraction. _Dist, how did you expect the Kimlasca_ _duke to give his son to a Malkuth colonel for military?!_

Luke abruptly opened the door to the Drawing Room, directing all attention to himself. "What do you want?"

Susanne looked at the boy kindly and said, "Luke, this man needs to check on your amnesia progress. If you have your diary, could you give it here?" Luke pulled the diary out of his pocket and walked over to her, handing it over. "Thank you. My, you've written a lot."

Luke slammed the book shut, flustered. "D-don't read it, Mom!" She shrugged.

"So you'll take him to wherever this research takes place?" The duke looked sternly at Jade, fearing another kidnapping.

"Yes, it's a safe place with lots of people. I'm not sure how long the research will take, but I'll keep you updated." Jade turned his attention to the now sixteen year old boy. His hair was long and red, unkempt and messy. His eyes were a combination of blue and green, his expression on combination of boredom and annoyance. Jade stood and walked over to him hopefully. "Luke...do you remember me?"

Luke's eyes were empty as he searched his mind for memory of the man in front of him. Finally, he shrugged carelessly. "Never seen you before."

Jade's heart sank and his eyes widened. Despite his hurt, he sighed and closed his eyes. "No matter, you'll be coming with me anyway." _Even Guy thought I looked familiar..._

The duke encouraged Jade to explain the circumstances, and Jade did so. Luke grew bored with the conversation and headed back to his room, leaving his diary on the table with the stranger. In his small room, he began packing his things. He wasn't exactly used to being commanded to go to places without warning, but he wanted to get out of the manor. He pulled a change of clothes from his dresser, some food, and other simple necessities.

As he slammed his dresser drawer closed, something on top of it wobbled and fell off. "Whoa!" Luke reached out and caught it impulsively. Looking at the object curiously, he saw a small, porcelain figurine of an owl. He gasped as he felt over its small beak and shapely wings. Turning from the dresser, the raced out the door and back to the Drawing Room.


	4. Chapter 3 : Visitors

_Chapter Three - Visitors_

A/N: Sorry, totally forgot the A/N on the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed it anyway. Okay, so let's recap. For those of you who haven't noticed, the pairing I'm shooting for is Jade and Luke. Last we heard, Jade returned to Baticul six years later and saw Luke again. He asked if Luke remembered him, as he had promised, but Luke was totally oblivious. He is now taking him away for "amnesia research". Heh heh heh...

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss.

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Luke opened the Drawing Room door again, slamming it into the wall behind him. All eyes turned to him and his outburst, the conversation apparently over. "Uh, sorry," he said, looking down. The duke turned to Jade.

"Thank you, we leave our son in your protection, Colonel Curtiss."

The redhead narrowed his eyes. _Tch, of course, _he thought, punishing himself for forgetting. _And even after I said I'd never forget him._

"Well then, I'll be on my way. I'll take good care of Luke," Jade promised, smiling good-bye to the family. He forced a smile at Luke and led the boy out of the building. Once they were outside though, his expression turned to a scowl. Luke kept his focus on the ground, still upset by his own stupidity.

_Man, looks like I really hurt his feelings. Well, duh, I'm an idiot. At least he remembered the promise. _Luke's thoughts ended as they left the manor, and they continued down Baticul in silence. Finally Luke spoke up. "So...where're we going?"

"Choral Castle," Jade replied absentley, keeping his vision forward.

Luke sighed. _He sure knows how to hold a grudge_. "Look, Jade, I-"

"Not now," Jade stopped when they reached the edge of Baticul, entering the fields. "Monsters."

A wolf sprang in their path, teeth exposed in anger. Luke froze, too scared even to get his sword out. "A wolf? Why's it attacking us?!" He raised an arm to protect himself as it lunged at him. "Jade!"

The wolf retreated back a few yards in pain, its shoulder an angry red. Jade stood in front of Luke, his spear in his hand. "Move," he said bluntly. Luke did. "Stalagmite!" The lone wolf was crushed between a plethora of sharp rocks that jabbed from the ground, then sank back in. It was dead.

The hushed wind blew away the evidence, and Jade's spear vanished. He continued walking, but Luke was petrified. "Come along now, or I'll leave you behind." Jade looked over his shoulder with a sincere smile. "The rest of the wolf family might come back looking for revenge," he joked, some of his earlier tension relieved. Luke ran to catch up with him.

_Does killing stuff always put him in a better mood?_ Luke wondered to himself. "You're the one who killed it; they won't come looking for me!"

The rest of the walk was short and free of monsters, and they arrived at the castle shortly before dusk. Jade typed in a code and the hidden door opened, revealing the secret lab. "This..." he said as he walked further in, switching on the lights, "Is where you'll be staying for a while. Not the coziest place, and it certainly pales in comparison to your manor, but it'll have to do."

Luke grimaced at the shoddy, abandoned monument and found a seat. "Seriously, are there even any beds in here?" Jade shifted awkwardly. "Aw, come on! I'm gonna have to sleep on the floor?!" Luke's complaints echoed through the high ceilings.

Jade waited for a moment before picking up a clipboard of papers lined with scrawled handwriting. "Shall we begin your first test?"

"Huh? We just got here!" Luke was a perpetual source of protests, and Jade wasn't ready to argue with him.

"Fine, we'll start first thing tomorrow then." He sighed and adjusted his glasses. Glancing at the clipboard, he saw a screenshot of the previous blood test that Dist had shown him. He would have to compare tomorrow's test with that picture to see if a mutation had occured.

"Hey Jade." Luke's voice was quieter and noticably calmer. He sidled closer to the Colonel and rested his hand on a nearby table. "I...I'm sorry for not remembering you straight off...like I said I would. But I remember you now." He paused in thought, trying to read Jade's expression. He was blank, possibly not even listening. "So...I'm really sorry and I hope this doesn't change things between us." The silence was unnerving.

"Thank you, Luke. I understand. While I may have expected you to remember me, it makes sense that you didn't. You had just...returned from getting kidnapped." Jade had to stop himself from saying Luke was just born. With a sincere smile, he patted the teenager on the shoulder. "I forgive you, and it's nothing to worry about." Checking the time, he stepped away from Luke and sighed. "Let's go to bed. Follow me."

They left the lab and entered a more home-looking area of the building, a hallway with many rooms on each side. Jade pointed into one, and Luke saw a small, homely bed. He turned around sharply in surprise. "I thought you said this place didn't have any beds!" Jade smiled cunningly and gave a half shrug, causing Luke to groan. "You really gotta stop it with these jokes."

"Good night to you too." Jade leaned forward and kissed the top of Luke's head, as a father would have. He turned and walked slowly down the hall, not looking back. Luke felt himself blush at the unexpected gesture.

"Good...night."

* * *

The next morning, Jade was skimming through the pages of Luke's diary, sitting at his usual desk. The room was still dim due to the lack of windows, so the time was unknown. It was seemingly late though, since Luke was just waking up. Jade immediately put the diary away and walked over to him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I slept alright. Nothing like the manor though." Luke noticed he sounded arrogant and spoiled and figured Jade was going to get mad at him. Instead, he was met with a nod and an "I understand."

Jade picked up his clipboard again and walked to the other side of a machine. "I'm going to run a DNA test on you briefly and then compare the results." Luke caught on quicker than he would've wanted.

"Hey, I thought we were doing amnesia research!" He backed away slowly, as if a DNA test was going to hurt him.

"Luke," Jade gave a hurt sigh and flipped his hair nervously from his eyes. "You'll find out the truth soon enough. But this is what's important right now. You may have some kind of chromosome disorder and I need to examine it. Please, Luke." Luke ignored his imploring eyes and gave him an annoyed look. Jade gave up the act and frowned, putting his papers up. "But if you'd rather return to the manor and die of genetic mutation, I suppose I have no right to interfere."

The Colonel gave a satisfied smile as fear appeared in Luke's eyes. "J-just tell me what I need to do," Luke surrendered, moving to the unfamiliar machine.

-DNA TEST-

The DNA test went smoothly and the results printed out. Jade looked at them carefully, juxtaposing the two pictures for accurate comparison. The DNA had not changed at all, the difference between the original's DNA and the replica's was still minute. Luke came over to check on it.

"Wh-what's it say? Am I going to live?" Luke's voice was full of suspicion, but Jade's nod relieved him. "Oh, that's good. Then...do I go home now?"

Jade glared up at him with surfacing irritation. "You're awfully impatient. I need to fix the slight error and that will take much time. It's not life-threatening, but it needs to be fixed."

"Right, sorry." Luke found himself staring at Jade from a cautious distance, observing what he'd missed as a child. Jade looked young for his age, his eyes scanning the test results rapidly. Dusky aureate hair lay on his shoulders, his bangs occasionally falling into his line of vision. Lengthly fingers brushed them out of the way, his skin the color of ivory. But it was his eyes that caught Luke's attention the most; the carmine pools were the only part of the man that ever showed emotion. Something about them made Luke sad inside, but he didn't know what. At that moment, they happened to be focused directly on him.

Luke averted his gaze a second too late, and Jade was forced to ask. "Luke, do you always stare at people when they aren't looking?" His voice was heavy with discontent.

_Well, he didn't have to be so cold about it. _"N-no, sorry. I just spaced out. But you know..." He trailed off, meandering around the room solemnly. Jade stood and stacked the papers, putting them in an organized folder.

"The DNA test was a success. Now I just need to do a little research and we'll be able to fix your chomosome disorder." He gave Luke a sharp look. "_Then_ you'll be able to go home." Luke bit his lip shamefully.

"A DNA test huh?" a familiar voice said. Jade and Luke looked up abruptly toward the source, a figure hiding in the shadow of a pillar. They moved slowly into the light, the artificial illumination starting at their feet. "You told me he was going to have amnesia research done on him, but it looks like I was right." They were wearing a gray cloak, hiding their form. "There's something more suspicious going on...as I figured." Ruffled blonde hair looked green-tinted in the lighting and beryl eyes stared with accusation. "Luke!"

"Guy!" Luke lunged forward, but Jade stopped him. "What are you doing here?"

Ignoring the question, Guy turned his attention to Jade. Narrowing his eyes, he started, "I remember you from six years ago. You're the one who brought Luke back from his kidnapping. So I found it was pretty strange that you would want to take him back after all this time just for amnesia tests. The fact that it was you both times, Jade, really got me wondering who you were. Then I come here and find out your running DNA tests instead." His eyes were hard and obscure.

"Very good. Now, how did you know to look here?" Jade kept his hand on Luke's shoulder protectively, gazing at Guy with anger.

The swordsman shurgged. "Lucky guess."

"Guy!" Luke attempted to free himself from Jade's grasp, but to no avail. "You really cared enough to come find me?"

"Now, don't start making stuff up," Guy shifted his weight, tilting his head at the two. "I just came to confirm my guess."

Jade pulled Luke back and stepped in front of him. "Well, now that you know about the tests and the location of Luke, you're going to have to work for me. Either that..." His eyes flashed briefly, the vermilion hues intensifying. "Or risk imprisonment."

Guy laughed shortly and stepped closer. "I was planning on staying anyway," he remarked, swinging a pack of supplies from his back to the the dusty floor. "That is, if I could ever find you guys."

Luke blinked, then looked at Guy accusingly. "Did my mom put you up to this?" Guy nodded nervously. "Figures. She's such a worrywart."

Jade cleared his throat and moved out of Luke's way. "Well then, Guy. As long as you swear not to escape or tell anyone, then you can help with some of this research."

"I can probably be useful in things that involve fon machinery. And don't worry; I won't tell anyone." Guy and Luke exchanged glances.

"This will be good. I'll need someone to watch Luke when I leave on military business." Luke's eyes widened in alarm.

"Y-you're going to be leaving me?!"

"You'll have Guy with you. I thought you'd be more comfortable around him than me." Luke blushed and turned his gaze to the floor. "It'll only be for a while, though they'll become more frequent as war threats increase. Plus I'll have to report to Peony every so often and give updates."

Guy raised an eyebrow at Jade. "Peony? You mean Emperor Peony of Malkuth?" Jade nodded. "Huh. I've rarely heard him called by anything other than His Majesty."

"Of Malkuth? But you're a Kimlasca servant, Guy. How've you ever heard of him?" Luke asked.

"War topics, mostly." Guy brushed the subject off and turned to Jade. "Well then, I guess as long as you're taking care of Luke, I won't think too much of these tests you're running. I'm sure you have your reasons." He extended a hand, his expression moderately calm. Jade shook it sincerely. "Alright then."

Luke followed Guy down the hall where he would unload his stuff. "Hey, Guy." They entered a room on the left and faced each other. "Um, thanks for coming to keep me company, even if it was on Mom's orders."

"What, are you scared of this place?" Guy joked, dropping his bag on the bed. Luke shook his head hastily, but Guy looked at the floor. "I would be. I mean, you've only been living in the manor for six years, then you're taken up again by some researcher to run tests."

Luke frowned. "Yeah, but I never really...felt at home in the manor anyway. I don't know why." Guy looked up and paused, then nodded. "You know what I mean? I guess it's the amnesia or something, but...I feel like I know Jade better than my own family. He was the one who-"

"Rescued you from the kidnapper, I suppose," Guy finished for him. Luke said nothing. "Well, as long as you're comfortable here, and with him, then I'll always be here for you. I've been looking to get out of the manor too, so I don't mind being in an old abandoned castle so much."

Luke smiled at his friend warmly. "Thanks, Guy. This place might take some getting used to...for both of us." With that, he left the room, to where Jade was reading over his results again.

"How can there not be any difference? Over six years...there's still only that slight difference. Oh well, less to correct I guess." Jade jumped at the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Talking to yourself?" Luke came up behind him and glanced at the DNA photos. "Are those my results?"

"Luke, uh, yes. They are. You should-"

"Hey, how come there are two different photos?" Luke pointed at the two, still trying to interpret them. "They're both labeled under my name. Luke I and Luke II? So my DNA is changing? When was this one taken?!" Luke's voice was rising, and he pointed to the first photo. "What's going on? Jade, did you lie to me-"

"Luke! Shut up!" Jade's scolding voice silenced the room, Luke's face frozen in fear. "You're going to live. There're some things going on you don't yet understand, but right now, just calm down." He focused on Luke's scared eyes coldly.

Luke finally nodded and walked away. "He's the first one to ever scold me like that. It's not a very nice feeling."

Jade sighed audibly and turned back around. "Now he's going to be wondering about the tests. How could I be so careless?" he mumbled.

* * *

Guy walked out of the hallway, stretching lazily. "Ugh, so when's Luke's next test?" Suddenly, a crashing noise overheard and a door upstairs bursting open broke the silence. Loud footsteps were heard running, and swords clashing forcefully. "I thought this place was abandoned years ago!"

Another crash to their right sounded, high near the ceiling. Luke backed into Jade, who grabbed his wrist warily. "Stay back, and try not to get hurt." A figure jumped from the shadows above and landed a good distance from them. They were holding a sword, which bore traces of blood. The figure himself was bleeding from the side. The three stared at him for a moment in silence, then the door burst open.

"You fool!" The animated figure shouted to no one in particular. All three of them recognized him immediately.

"It's you!"

"Why is...?"

"Master Van!" Luke would've rushed forward if he weren't held back by Jade again, and if he didn't later see the crimson blood dripping from the man's blade. "Huh?"

Van turned to Luke, then grimaced. "Oh, you." He nodded to Guy and Jade, then directed his attention to the figure at the back of the room. "Get over here!"

The man straightened up, his features indistinguishable. He walked forward very slowly, limping slightly at the injury. "Van, let's settle this somewhere else." His voice was familiar, strong and vengeful.

"Not until I understand what's going on," Jade demanded, looking from person to person. "Van, why are you here? And why is _he _also?" The man was drawing closer, his sword dragging on the floor with a grinding sound. It left a thin trace of red stain.

He finally stopped within talking distance from the group, his eyes focused on Van. Luke couldn't see his face due to the dark red hair that shielded it. Then he turned and gasped at the sight of Luke. "Y-you!" Luke grabbed Jade's shoulder and tried to move away from the person. Their eyes locked in a startled gaze that seemed to last forever.

"He...he looks like..." Luke couldn't tear his eyes from the man, who gave him a fiendish glare in return.

"It's you! You're the one I've been hearing so much about! I should kill you now, you worthless repl-!"

"Luke, silence!" Van hurled his sword at the intruder forcefully. The weapon twilred in the air with a faint whishing sound, and the hilt hit the man on the head effectively. Luke winced as the other man fell to his knees, then he looked up at Jade in confusion.

"Why'd he call him Luke? I'm Luke!" Jade kept his eyes on Van though and shook his head.

The wounded stranger hesitated, then rose from the ground, leering at Van with deathly abhorrence.

"My name is _Asch!_"

-----End chapter 3-----

A/N: Ooooh, cliffie! I'm so bad, I know. And it really pained me to write Asch getting pwned by Van's sword-throwing skills just then. I know that part was a little hard to follow. Well, please review!


	5. Chapter 4 : Questions

_Chapter Four - Questions_

A/N: To end the cliffie, on with Chapter 4!

Disclaimer: Don't own ToA.

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Asch rubbed his head painfully, whispering curses at the ache. Van moved closer, and Asch threw him his sword, looking at Luke briefly. "Agreed, we'll finish this elsewhere," Van grumbled. "I apologize for the commotion, Colonel." Jade nodded, keeping his grip on Luke. "Ah, I see you've begun the research I requested."

Luke looked up at Jade again. "He's behind these DNA tests? I thought-"

"Yes, thanks to Dist." Jade narrowed his eyes. "Now, please be on your way. This disturbance is..." He looked over at Asch, who was trying to cease the bleeding from his side. "Interfering with our progress."

Van smiled gravely. "As you wish." Asch followed him out of the room, after casting one more look of bitterness at Luke. When the door closed, Jade released his hold.

"Van, and _him_..." Jade stared at the door, as if expecting them to come back in.

"Who was that other guy? He looked just like me. It was like looking into a mirror." Luke looked down at his hands, then back up.

"Uh, does this happen all the time?" Guy asked. "It's my first night here and you guys are getting ambushed."

Jade broke his gaze and looked around the room. "Well, I didn't expect that either. Let's all just go to bed and forget it ever happened, okay?" Luke and Guy nodded quietly, then left to go to their rooms. Jade, however, remained behind. He walked over to where Asch had been standing and, using a small syringe, collected a new blood sample. "The last sample was taken six years ago. It's possible the replication process could've infected him too, and he may also have side effects," Jade said, taking mental notes.

He pushed the blood into a test tube and covered it. "I'll look at that tomorrow." Shutting the lights off, he resumed his bad habits and fell asleep on his desk, not even bothering to remove his glasses.

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Luke woke up groaning, massaging his sore back. "Agh, what an awful sleep." He woke up slowly, noticing the lit candle beside his bed. "Why's it always so dark in here? No windows, you can even tell if it's daytime outside."

Guy was in his room, wide-awake. "Hey Luke, you're finally up. It's about noon." Luke nodded. "Heh, I guess that's when you usually get up."

"More or less, yeah." Luke stretched and yawned, eyeing Guy's room. "I see you're done decorating. Looks good."

"Oh, thanks. I woke up early, as always. Where's Jade?"

"I don't know." Luke looked around the hallway. "Not up yet?"

Guy laughed. "Yeah, like a military colonel has time to sleep in. He's probably out there working; you should go help him." Luke nodded and left for the main room. The lights were on, but Guy had probably done that. Had there been windows, the room would've been alive with light.

"Jade?" Luke's voice echoed through the high ceilings and spacious walls. "Jade? Where are you- whoa." The redhead walked into a table, shaking the equipment on it. "Man, I gotta be careful." He stopped to examine the test tubes filled with dark red fluid. The thick liquid rolled in the tube, swaying gently and eerily. "Blood...why...?"

He jumped at a sound a table away, where he saw Jade had fallen asleep. "So much for not sleeping in..." Luke walked over to him and prodded him gently. "Hey, wake up. It's late..." No response. "Jade, get up." Still, he slept soundly. Luke knelt down to eye level, hoping to stare him awake. "Wake up," he whispered, not planning on it to work. It did.

Jade pushed his chair back so fast he nearly fell out and Luke fell backwards in equal response. "Luke, give me a heart attack why don't you!"

"S-sorry!" Luke picked himself up and smiled sheepishly. "It's late, I thought you might want to run some more tests."

The colonel glanced at the clock and sighed. "Yes, I usually have Peony's voice wake me up but I'm really a late sleeper." Looking up at Luke, he continued. "We won't need to run tests today. I'm just going to do a little computer research on chomosome alignment, so you can talk to Guy for a while." Jade kept to his word and started working on his research, leaving Luke.

The boy decided to go outside. Despite the shady area the castle was secluded in, the weather was nice and the sky blue. A calming breeze rippled through the trees and radiant patches of sunlight shone between the secretive leaves, making a random pattern on the dirt and stone path. Luke felt the wind engage itself with his hair and coat, pulling him back toward the castle.

"I want this problem fixed...so I can go home..." The words he told Guy ran through his head.

"..._but I never really...felt at home in the manor anyway..." _

He shook his head, closing his eyes tightly. "My parents, they must want to see me..."

_"...I feel like I know Jade better than my own family..."_

"Th-that might be true, but...why do I feel like there's a big segment missing from my life? Is amnesia really to blame?"

_"You had just...returned from getting kidnapped..."_ Now Jade's voice filled his head, clouding his thoughts.

"After the tests are over, after I'm cured, everything will be fine. But that guy..." A vision of the one called Asch came to his mind. "He looked like me, and those papers..."

_"They're both labeled under my name. Luke I and Luke II?"_

He remembered pointing that out earlier. "It doesn't make sense...I wish Jade would explain it to me." Suddenly, the wind picked up and Guy opened the door. "Guy..."

"Hey, I was looking all over for you. What are you doing out here alone?" He took a seat next to Luke on the path. The faint light complimented Guy's natural blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "No tests today?"

Luke looked toward the sky and heaved a sigh. "The weather was nice, and I was feeling a little sunlight deprived." He overturned tiny pieces of gravel with his fingertips, thinking of things. "Do you have any idea who that person was? That looked like me?" Guy shook his head. "It really makes me wonder. That whole thing with Master Van and him, and I...I really wonder what Jade's up to."

Guy was quiet for a while, then he said, "You should ask him yourself today."

"Too many distractions," Luke countered straight off. "He'll just avoid me."

"So? Get rid of the distractions." Guy stood and dusted himself off. "And yeah, the weather is nice today," he implied, winking at Luke briefly before turning and going back inside. Luke sat a moment longer before looking at the door and smiling to himself.

"Hey, Jade." The colonel looked up from his research to see Luke. "Um, it's really nice outside, so I was just wondering if you wanted to go on a walk." There was a short silence. "Er, if you're busy, then you can keep working." To Luke's surprise, Jade set down his work and stood.

"Where to then?"

"Uh, I heard Tataroo Valley is nice, especially when the weather's like it is."

"Alright then, let's be going." Since Jade took it so much easier than Luke had expected, he decided not to argue and they left.

The walk there was quick, and when they arrived, Luke decided to ask a few questions.

"Jade, why are you running DNA tests on me?" He looked over at the man cautiously. "I mean, amnesia tests sounded more reasonable, so there has to be some purpose to these tests too, right? So can you tell me?"

Jade smiled easily and brushed the subject off. "You'll find out soon enough. It'll all make sense over time."

Luke sighed. "Okay, then can you tell me who that guy that looked like me was? I heard his name was 'Asch', but that didn't help. And why was Master Van there too?" The path was becoming more slight, the surrounding copse becoming thicker and more gathered. "I need answers or-"

"Asch...was raised a lot like you, and he grew up learning from Van for ten years. Then something happened." Jade's eyes became more distant and the subject drifted.

"So is he...my brother or something?" Luke tried to absorb the clues he was being given, but Jade only sighed in frustration.

"No, you exist because of him." Luke's eyes widened and Jade groaned in annoyance. "I've said too much." They reached the top of a small cliff, a vivid waterfall cascading from an adjacent bluff. Selenia flowers swayed effortlessly in the wind, their pure white coloring reflecting resplendent sunlight. Butterflies splashed color into the scene, extravagent, striking features contrasting the blue sky.

Jade stared over the endless sea, a lambent cerulean blanket. "I'm sorry I'm forced to keep so many secrets from you, but in a way..." He disheveled his hair gently, taking in a deep breath of sea air. "You were just born." Luke's eyes were thoughtful, and Jade continued. "You wouldn't understand even if I were to tell you. It's best that you don't know."

Luke clenched his fists and stared at the ground. "You don't have to keep things from me like this. I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle it." His eyes were importunate, but Jade disregarded the plea. "You're so secretive about everything. It hurts me that you don't trust me enough."

"Luke..." Jade fished for words but gave up quickly. "You're right. Maybe the time will come."

He watched as Luke turned to him, anger residing, but a smile on his face. "Even if you don't trust me, I'm still thankful for you. For being there for me." Jade opened his mouth in surprise, and Luke blushed vaguely. "If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't know what's going on. I'm glad you've lead me through this as far as you have." He looked up and made brave eye contact. "Thanks."

Jade smiled back in response, then turned to overlook the sea again. "It's something I must do. A responsibility." Something deep inside him though, told him it was something more than just a chore. After a small silence, he glanced up. "Shall we be going?"

Luke nodded, but grew puzzled at Jade's surprised look. "Jade?" The man's eyes were focused behind Luke, and he soon grew fearful.

"Luke, behind you!" A loud roar prompted Luke to jump out of his spot, narrowly avoiding a deformed bull the size of two. It had sharp horns and stood on its hind legs, muscles bulging from its body. The nefarious beast raised its fist from the ground, bringing pieces of dirt up with it. Blood red eyes darted from person to person.

"Wh-what's that?" Luke backed up and fell to the ground in pure shock.

"It's just a monster. Cover me while I cast a spell." Despite Jade's adamant directions, Luke didn't move. "Luke! I need your help!" He was a second too late though and the beast threw a punch, a few feet short. The wind from the blow, however, knocked Jade from his feet. He caught himself in a simple backflip. "Hm, this thing is stronger than I thought."

Luke was frozen in fear, having never fought something before. "Jade, what do I do?!"

"Draw your sword," he commanded flatly, summoning his own spear. "Get up, unless you want to die!" Luke complied, drawing his weapon reluctantly. "Now go attack it, and I'll stay back to cast fonic artes." He shot Luke a warning look, which the boy ignored.

"Fonic arte? What's that?" Luke put up a sad attempt at a guard and stumbled backwards in recoil. "Ouch!" With another roar, the bull rammed its horns in Luke's direction. Another reflexive guard from the amatuer swordsman put up a futile fight.

Jade leapt in front of Luke, taking the damage fully. The horns plunged into Jade's defending arm and part of his ribs, embedding itself in his flesh. He cringed in agony, but held his ground as the monster pulled its horns from him hastily. Luke's face blanched at the sight, watching as Jade knelt down in pain, applying pressure to the wound. "Jade..."

"Move," he commanded, pushing Luke off his feet weakly. Pieces of rock flew over their heads at dangerous speeds. "Can you not fight?" he asked, ignoring the crimson that stained the flawless white flowers. Breathing became a detriment for him shortly after that.

"N-no, I never have before," Luke choked out, still staring at the wound. "You're-"

"Please, go distract it." Jade didn't want Luke to know of his torment, so he stood and closed his eyes, preparing a spell. "I'm counting on you."

Luke took a moment to recover, looked at the enemy, and rose to his feet. He fingered his sword hilt absentley, then charged forward. Cheap slashes drew minimal blood from the beast, but it was irritated nonetheless.

"O Mighty Explosion..."

Luke rolled out of the way of the animal's body slam, getting showered with rocks. He pierced its side with steel impulsively, keeping his eyes closed. Blood trailed from the wound, and the novice drew his sword back, splattering the maroon liquid.

"Energy Blast!" The creature gave its final cry as the fonic arte consumed its body. All that was left of it were sprinkles of its flesh, dissipating into the air quickly. Jade let out his breath and removed his hand from the gash, falling to his knee. He took off his bloodied glove and used it as a cloth to block the bleeding. "That...was difficult."

"Why does Tataroo Valley have monsters like that? It looks so peaceful," Luke commented as he moved closer to Jade.

"I don't know, really. But we killed it, which is all that's important right now." Jade looked up at Luke. "So, you're telling me you've never fought before?" Luke shook his head. "Didn't Van teach you or anything?"

"He did, but only the basics, like how to hold the sword and get used to the weight while swinging it." Luke held his sword up to the light, then wiped the blood on the ground. "I didn't really pay attention anyway." Jade sighed in disappointment and shook his head. "What? I didn't know I would ever use it!" Then he saw Jade's pained expression and felt a rush of guilt. "But...I guess it is pretty useful. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm fine." Jade increased the pressure on the wound and tried to stand. Luke rushed over and took the colonel's hand, pulling him up. He looked down at the blood on his hand and then at Jade's side. The man, however, bore an empty expression, his eyes showing no suffering whatsoever. "Let's go."

They walked a good distance, Jade not even stopping to rest, and Luke pretending not to be concerned. The sounds of nature filled the inane silence, and they were finally out of the forest. Jade's expression had not changed the entire time, and Luke finally grew curious. "Doesn't that hurt?"

To his surprise, Jade smiled honestly and replied, "Not at all." Luke shook his head.

"Whatever you say." He figured Jade was just trying to be tough, or not cause him any stress, but the look of that wound was gruesome, and the victim was starting to pale as things were. "Are you sure?" Afraid Jade would get mad at him, Luke caught himself. "Well, I mean, of course you're sure, but...do you need any help?"

Jade kept his invariable smile and nodded. "I'm fine, thank you." There was a short pause, then Jade said, "You did well out there. But if you really want to be a good fighter, you'll need a lot of work." Luke nodded slowly, focusing on the ground. "I can train you if you'd like."

Luke's attention snapped to Jade and he gasped. "Really? That'd be great!"

"If you think you really need it. You said yourself that you didn't pay attention to Van's lessons." Jade looked at the bright sky, listening to Luke search for an answer. "I don't want to waste my time, you know."

"W-well I'll pay attention if _you're_ teaching it! Van was...boring. And he didn't like me very much, he always talked like he was going to kill me." Jade laughed and Luke's shoulders slumped. "Seriously! I didn't even do anything to him!"

"Fighting has a lot of advantages. You should be willing to learn, and maybe I won't talk like he did." Jade steered the boy onto the castle path. "Maybe you'll be able to protect me someday."

Luke's gaze fell to the ground again. "Yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't help you much out there. And thanks for saving me...twice actually. I would've done a better job out there, but I...didn't think you'd get hurt, you always seem so perfect."

Jade gave a short laugh. "I'm far from perfect. I've made my share of mistakes already." The doors to the castle creaked open and they made their way to the lab. "And don't worry about not covering for me out there. You hadn't ever fought in real life before." Luke wasn't convinced. "Besides, that'll all be changing, starting tomorrow." Jade patted Luke on the head and took a different hall. Luke smiled faintly, then went to the lab, where he would wait to become a swordsman.

A/N: So, how many times did I use the word "however"? I know the part where Luke was having flashbacks was a little hard to follow, sorry. And when Luke refers to Jade having saved him twice, it goes back to the last chapter where he killed the wolf outside of Baticul. You'll have to do a lot of this "remembering stuff from other chapters" business as the story progresses. Until then, review, my pretties!


	6. Chapter 5 : Lessons

_Chapter Five - Lessons_

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Luke found Guy looking at an old piece of fon machinery. "Hey Guy, you're a swordsman, right?"

Guy turned around and nodded. "Yeah, but I'm not a professional. Why do you ask?" Before he could say any more, Luke grabbed his arm and ran to the main room, where Jade was tending his wound.

"Then will you help me with my training?" Luke asked Guy enthusiastically. Guy and Jade exchanged glances, and Luke tightened his grip on Guy hopefully.

"Uh, sure." The blonde directed to Luke, who beamed with delight. "What happened to Jade?"

"He just got attacked by a monster," Luke explained, causing Jade to roll his eyes. "It's my fault though, since I couldn't fight. That's why I'm asking you to help me."

"So you can protect Jade?" Guy teased. Luke flushed slightly and shook his head, searching for something to say back. Guy simply laughed and knelt beside Jade. "It's okay. I don't blame you. It doesn't look like Jade can protect himself very well." The servant finished bandaging the colonel and they both stood. "Where are we practicing?"

Luke stepped forward and supported Jade. "We can start tomorrow if Jade doesn't feel well..."

"I feel fine, and you need help as soon as possible," Jade replied coldly. He pushed Luke off him and made his way up the stairs. "We're practicing on the roof."

The group climbed the stone stairs until they reached the sunlit rooftop. A dummy made of straw was already stationed there. Jade stood next to it, and Guy and Luke faced it. "Draw your sword." Luke complied. "We'll start with basic offense and defense moves. Move forward and strike the dummy with your sword."

Guy pushed Luke forward encouragingly. The redhead held his sword in position and leapt forward. With each blow, the dummy shifted slightly on it's post. Luke drew back for a moment and changed his sword grip. Each strike was accurate and Luke felt it was easy enough, neither tired nor injured. "Heh, how's that?" he asked, standing back and twirling his sword with his wrist.

Jade closed his eyes and raised his hand to his glasses in thought. "Your moves are slow. You leave too many openings, and you can't think about attacking. You just have to." Luke's jaw dropped and Guy stifiled his laughter behind him. "But offense aside, let's work on guarding. You'll raise your sword in front of you and hold it horizontally." After some puzzlement, Luke held his weapon in position. "Very good."

There was a saffron flash of light and in the next instant, Jade was standing before Luke, a dark gray spear in his hand. It had blue undertones and the crest of Malkuth on the tip. "Come at me. Give me everything you've got."

Luke paused for a moment, looking at Jade carefully, then raised his sword. "Okay, but don't blame me if you get hurt." He brought the sword up above his head and brought it down forcefully, letting gravity take it to the ground. But when he thought he'd hit his mark, his sword collided with the pewter bricks of the rooftop. Jade was less than a foot from his sword. "How did you-!"

"Too slow," Jade criticized, his red eyes stern. Luke swung at him, and Jade deflected the blow. "You'd better attack faster than that."

"Grr, shut up!" Luke attacked in a flurry of slashes, thrusts, and turns. However, each attempt was dodged, parried, or blocked. He felt himself exhausting, but went on. "Man, this guy is indomitable..."

"Stop holding back," Jade continued reproachfully. "Your blows are weak, each strike needs to be forceful and concise." Another attack was dodged, and Luke faltered, losing his balance and teetering forward. "Another opening-"

"I said _shut up_!" Luke shouted with annoyance. He jumped into the air and held his sword firmly, bringing it down on his target. "Die!!"

A blizzard of shattered brick flew up from the spot of impact, ashen dust creating a small smokescreen. The dull clatter of stone falling on stone subsided as the dust settled, and Luke held his sword in the floor, his rage diminishing. He was about to raise back up, but his muscles felt weak. He heard Guy call his name.

Before he could turn, he felt a kick on his chest knock him backward, falling onto the concrete painfully. Again, Luke nearly stood, until he felt the sharp, pointed end of a spear at his neck. The dust cleared, and Luke looked up to see a very displeased Jade. The man's eyes were icy and full of irritation. Luke knew he had a million degrading things to say about him, so he only turned his head away from Jade's piercing crimson eyes.

"I suppose I should expect no better on your first day," Jade said easily, an almost unnoticable edge in his voice. He withdrew his spear and walked away from Luke, who sat a moment longer in self-pity. "Guy, help him with his defense. And don't hold back."

The swordsman stepped forward and offered a hand to Luke. "Let's get started." Guy drew his sword and pointed it at Luke, who raised his own in front of him. "I'll start slow."

He cut a simple strike at Luke, which is blocked easily. He repeated this, watching Luke's guard begin to lower. "Don't get lazy now," he said quietly. Then, he sidestepped to the left at a blinding speed that woke Luke immediately. He sliced at Luke, who guarded it impulsively.

"Whoa!" Luke exclaimed, stumbling back in recoil. The boy stopped a moment to recover, but felt a powerful strike on his back knock him forward. "Ouch!" He hit the concrete heavily, scraping his hand. "Huh? How did-?" He looked up to see Guy smiling warmly, and looked behind him to see Jade, arms folded.

"You let your guard down. Any more openings like that and you'd be dead on the battlefield," the colonel continued to deprecate him. Luke stood and brushed the dust off his shoulders.

"Two against one isn't fair," he mumbled, casting his eyes downward.

"In the real world, though," Guy said, stepping forward, "it'll be much more than two against you." Looking around, he sighed. "Let's take a break. You've got to be tired from all this."

Luke nodded in agreement and sat on the stone roof, sword clattering beside him. "So if Guy's a swordsman, then what are you, Jade?"

Jade spun his spear deftly at his side, his practiced moves so perfect he never hit himself. Closing his eyes in concentration, the fluid spinning of his spear continued, a blur of cadet blue the only thing visible. "I'm a fonist," he said finally, as a large nebula of heat appeared a few yards in front of him. It swirled around like an orange galaxy before bursting into a explosion of fiery particles. Luke and Guy watched in amazement, and he continued twirling the instrument with his other hand.

"Many on the battlefied assume I am well-trained and experienced beyond my years as a soldier. Some say I'm an expert, and I possess incomparable techniques it takes centuries to master." His scarlet eyes flashed for a brief second and the spinning ceased abruptly. "Some consider me an evil killer, but of course these are lies."

Guy bit his lip in thought and looked across the land. "Jade...the Necromancer...!" he whispered.

"Did you say something, Guy?" Luke asked, turning around to face him. Jade was eyeing him cautiously as well.

"Er, no. Nothing." Guy smiled nervously. "I mean, of course they're lies. Soldiers do what they have to, even if that means killing." Jade nodded, and Luke turned his attention back.

"That's right. Those who consider me cruel just aren't strong enough for battle." The spear disappeared in an instant and Jade leaned against the brick wall, the faint wind stirring his ochroid hair around his shoulders. Luke looked at his hands, then up at Jade.

"So what else is there? Swordsmen, fonists..."

It was Guy who answered this question. "I've heard there are some called melodists." He drew his sword again and walked over to Luke. "They sing hymns, some for protection, some for attacks, some for healing, and some...for a deeper purpose." He sliced through the air quickly and aligned the blade with his face, a sterling sheen reflecting the sun. "They say you're lucky if you come across one. They're pretty rare."

"Hm, I think it'd be cool to hear a hymn from a melodist," Luke mentioned. Guy looked at Luke from his place and smiled softly.

"Van sings, you know."

"Master Van?" Luke stood immediately and faced Guy. "I never knew that."

Jade stepped forward and drew his spear. "Let's resume. I'll teach you to parry, and then we'll be done for the day." Swords and spears clashed until the sun cast shadows of different angles and began to set.

Luke panted in exhaustion and collapsed on the rooftop. "That...was hard..."

Guy sighed and shook his head. "You get tired so easily. If you don't change your attitude, it'll take a long time to teach you."

Luke narrowed his eyes in Guy's direction. "Shut up. At least I'm a fast learner."

Jade too sighed and shrugged, closing his eyes in disappointment. "Yes, such a fast learner, it took all day to teach you the basics." He could hear Luke groan in exasperation.

"What am I learning tomorrow then?" he asked, blowing his red bangs from his eyes boredly. The red-yellow sky and rose clouds shifted from the boy's vantage point as he lied on his back.

Jade turned to Guy. "Whatever Guy here wants to teach you. I'd suggest you focus on speed and reflexes though."

Luke sat up hastily and stared at Jade. "You're leaving me?"

"I already told you, didn't I? I have to leave for military business for Malkuth. I am a colonel after all. It's my duty." He tilted his head at Luke and put his hands in his pockets. "You can handle a day without me, can't you?"

The boy stood and walked forward unsurely. "Yeah, I can, but..." The awkward air accumulated as Luke hesitated, then leaned forward and caught Jade in an unexpected hug. "Be careful. Out there, on the battlefield."

Jade froze for a moment, then encircled his arms around Luke. "I will," he confirmed simply, then released his hold. Luke stepped back and Jade waved to the two as he made his way back down the stairs. Guy came forward and placed his hands on Luke's shoulders.

"Get a good sleep. You did a lot of work today, so you'll need your rest for tomorrow."

Luke nodded, keeping his gaze on the stairs. "Yeah, you too," he said absently. Guy left, and Luke walked over to the ledge Jade had been leaning on previously. He placed his gloved hands on the bricks and bent over the edge, taking a deep breath. The coruscating sunlight from earlier had changed from tender pinks and oranges to flaming garnet, with clouds of cobalt and dark violet.

Heaving a sigh, Luke closed his eyes against the prevailing winds from the west. The current blew his scarlet hair back and howled in his ears. "Your duty, huh?" he said to himself. Without another word, he tore from the ledge and raced down the stairs, where he went straight to his bedroom and slept restlessly for hours.

* * *

"-ke...Luke, wake up. Wake up!" Guy raised a hand to slap the boy an instant before he woke up. "Finally!" 

"Sorry..." Luke murmured, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Early, but Jade's already gone. I thought we might as well get a head start, since it's such a nice day." Luke rolled his eyes at Guy's cheerfulness and clambered out of his bed. "Come on, I'll race you to the roof." Before Luke could protest, Guy was already halfway down the hall.

Picking up his scabbard and coat, Luke yawned and followed Guy lethargically to the training area. Outside, the sky was barely blue, and white fonstones dotted the periwinkle stretch of the fon belt. Guy was already on the roof, and seemed to be looking at something in the distance. The sound of Luke's footsteps snapped him to attention though. "Luke! Alright, let's get started," Guy began with enthusiasm.

"Hold on, hold on," Luke complained, still pulling on his coat. "Geez, how do you wake up so fast this early in the morning?"

"Early? I've been up for almost two hours," Guy informed, scratching his head humbly. "Which is still pretty late from when I had to wake up working for you."

Luke looked at the floor and nodded slowly. "Yeah...sorry. I guess being a servant is pretty lame huh?"

Guy shook his head. "No, I don't mind. I'm a morning person anyway. Four in the morning is average for me."

The redhead's eyes widened as he equipped his scabbard. "It's four in the morning?!"

"No, it's six-thirty!" Guy laughed, drawing his sword. "I used to wake up at three at the manor though."

"Three...I can't wake up even away from the manor." Luke drew his sword, then looked across the dewed green grass below them. "I guess that means Jade woke up early too."

Guy shrugged. "If he beats me up, he's definently a soldier." His sword caught a piece of sunlight as he straightened it in front of him. "And speaking of Jade, he wanted me to teach you some speed and reflexes. So let's go." In a flash, Guy ran forward and cut a slice at Luke.

"H-hey!" Luke called, putting up his guard. But Guy was already standing back, looking satisfied. "At least I guarded!"

"No you didn't. Look." Guy pointed at the boy's arm, which had a small trace of blood on it about four inches long. "You were too slow."

"How the hell was I supposed to counter that?!" Luke argued, smearing the blood. Instead of responding, Guy readied his weapon again.

"Get ready this time." Charging forward, he was about to strike Luke, but leapt over him and cut at his back. The sound of clashing metal was heard, and Guy stumbled back. Luke grinned in victory, but Guy still managed to scold him.

"Don't just stand there, you're open and I'm still capable of fighting." Another slash was blocked and then another, until finally, Luke's sword was knocked from his grasp. It landed blade first in an interstice of the concrete. Guy placed his blade at Luke's neck, and the amateur raised his arms in surrender. He removed it and walked away, sheathing it quietly.

"If you'd caught me when you had the chance, you would've won," Guy said. Luke looked on and scoffed moodily. "Well, I'm still surprised you saw through my attack." The blonde turned back around, smiling brightly. "Think this is hard?"

Luke shrugged nonchalantly, avoiding eye contact and returning to his expression of irritated boredom.

"Well, if you're struggling with speed alone, wait until you get to Fields of Fonons."

"Field of Fonons? What's that?" The whistle of steel was heard as Guy pulled his sword back out. Luke took on a defensive stance.

"I'm sure Jade would be happy to explain it to you, but it's a little more advanced. You haven't even learned any artes, have you?" Luke shook his head. "Then don't worry about it. We'll get there in the next lesson I'm sure." With another sweeping sword twirl, Guy narrowed his eyes at his friend. "En garde."

The clamor of steel against steel echoed from the rooftop of the castle across the green fields of morning, and into the battlefield of Malkuth territory.

A/N: Well, that was kind of filler, but please review anyway! And if you don't mind me saying, some of you should be a little more thorough in your reviews. How else am I going to learn from my mistakes? I learn from your feedback! So let's hear it!


	7. Chapter 6 : Soldiers

_Chapter Six - Soldiers_

A/N: You'll be missing out if you don't read this chapter:D And what's the deal, I only got about 3 reviews last chapter. I guess I'm out of the popular zone. Thanks to you three anyway! Enjoy chapter 6, this is one of my personal favorites. And I hope to hear from everyone again soon. This story does get better as it goes on, it's no fun if you all quit now!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss.

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Peony paced the palace floors abstractedly, the soft sound of his shoes on the surface echoing dully. Sesemann puffed on his pipe in thought and Nordheim stood as still as a statue for what seemed an eternity. The bluest of waters cascaded from marble cliffs in the background, creating a soothing peace, and at the same time, a rushed anxiousness. Peony raised a hand to his lips and closed his eyes, ceasing his pacing.

"He's been gone for four nights, no one's been able to trace him, or even reach him. It's been ever since that telegram..."

Nordheim cleared his throat and looked at the floor. "Would you like us to send troops to search for him again?" Peony shook his head, stray locks of his blonde hair swaying from side to side. "Perhaps he got kidnapped."

"Jade doesn't just get kidnapped. But if he's in town, he should at least contact me." The emperor looked through a water-filled window from his spot on the rug. "He's missed quite a few meetings, and Kimlasca requested our presence on the battlefield this morning. Hopefully he'll at least show up there." Sesemann nodded blankly.

There was a moment's pause, then the doors of the audience hall creaked open. Peony kept his vision at the window, deaf to the entrance of the long awaited soldier. Sesemann blinked his hidden eyes in amazement. "Colonel Curtiss!"

Peony did a double-take in the direction of his friend before rushing to him. "Jade!!" He stopped about two inches from the man and raised a hand to hit him. Jade, however, caught the emperor's wrist halfway and held it. "Where have you been? What took you so long? Why didn't you contact me?! You had me worried to death! I sent troops out to look for you! How are you going to explain yourself?!?! Say something!!!"

Jade waited for him to finish his rampage, still gripping the man's offending arm. "My apologies, Emperor. I was doing some research for an old friend of mine and decided to stay at a nearby facility for a few nights. I would've contacted you but I never got the chance." He let go of Peony and removed his glasses, examining them. "I'm sorry it took me so long, and I would've returned sooner but-"

"Okay, stop. You're boring me." Peony put his hands on his hips self-importantly and continued. "Well, I'm glad you came back just in time to go to the plains to fight. Aslan should be in the Briefing Room. You should tell him you're back." He pushed his hair back between his fingers and sighed heavily, looking at the floor. Jade smiled slyly, walking to the other side of his friend.

"I've never seen you so worried about me before," the colonel taunted, twisting one of the emperor's bisque tresses on his slender finger. "I'm flattered. Now I feel guilty."

Peony whirled around with a look of mild umbrage in his eyes. "I wasn't _that_ worried, you idiot! You just stressed me out!"

Jade stepped back with a temperate smile and closed his eyes. "My, my. A bit tetchy now, are we?" he replied insouciantly, shrugging.

He continued to exacerbate Peony, the emperor's petulance rising with his every word. "Grr! Just go do your job!" The colonel bowed and began to leave.

"In deference to your wishes, I'll be on my way, Peony." Casting one more glance behind him, Jade said, "Don't worry about me too much. I'll be back."

Peony felt his chagrin rise and stomped his foot loudly. "Just go die out there, Jade!" he shouted bitterly, his voice ringing through the palace walls. The last thing he heard was Jade's sharp laugh, and the doors closing with a thunderous boom. Peony let out his breath in vexation, glaring at the door.

"His Majesty can get quite barbaric, can't he?" Nordheim mumbled to Sesemann, eyeing their leader warily. The old man nodded.

"Especially when it comes to that Curtiss character. He's a contumelious one, isn't he?" Sesemann whispered back, puffing his pipe.

"Not so much contumelious as he is flippant, almost insulting."

"Hm, flippant or not, he's certainly very cunning." Sesemann noted as Peony began walking back towards them.

"Cunning indeed. Perhaps that's why His Majesty is so fond of him." Nordheim pondered.

"Perhaps so. His Majesty certainly is not very clever, however."

"Indeed. Though I find those two and their quarrels quite amusing."

"Amusing, I agree." Peony was soon within earshot and the two old men silenced. "He'll be fine, Your Majesty. Worry not."

The emperor reseated himself and exhaled deeply. "I know. Jade's stubborn when it comes to battle. I'm sure he'll do fine." His eyes shone the clearest azure as he looked again through a waterfall window. Deep inside, he couldn't shake a feeling of uneasiness, uncertainty, and a hunch he might not see his friend again for a long time.

Aslan Frings was in the Briefing Room, as Peony had mentioned. He was polishing his sword in preparation, two low rank soldiers at his side. The brigadier general held his sword up to the light, and was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," he said, sheathing his sword.

Jade stepped inside quietly, leaving the door open. "Welcome back," Frings said, looking the man over. "You look well. Where were you?"

"I was away on business for a friend." Jade looked at a nearby clock. "I suppose we should be heading out now." Frings nodded silently and the two left the room.

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Outside, Frings met up with a bunch of other soldiers and turned to Jade. "I'll be taking the frontlines this time. Is that okay?"

Jade sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm subaltern to you, Frings. You needn't ask me for permission."

Frings laughed and fingered his sword hilt. "Right. Are you taking the Tartarus?" Jade nodded. "Alright then, see you later." The colonel waved as Frings left to catch up with the troops. The Tartarus sailed into sight and Jade boarded it when it stopped.

He went onto the deck and looked at the sky as the rest of the soliders boarded. "Hm, it looks like it might rain," he noted to himself. Gray clouds filled the sky and a light humidity made the Tartarus's surface collect tiny droplets of condensation. A wind blew and pushed the clouds towards him at a dead-slow pace. Looking behind him, Jade said, "The storm's moving toward the castle. I guess I can't avoid it."

The landship lurched forward and Jade returned inside. They crawled onto the plains, where the horizon was occupied with Kimlascan troops. Jade looked up from his controls to the monitor displaying their enemy. _So this is it. War really has started. Kimlasca, Malkuth, and Daath._

Less than ten minutes passed before the battle broke out and Malkuth soldiers were fighting Kimlascan soldiers. Landships and aircrafts fired at each other and fonists used their power to summon spells and destroy opponents. Swords clashed, spear thrusted, and shields shattered on ground level.

Suddenly, there was an explosion below, and the ship heaved dramatically, yet slowly. Jade ran out to the deck, where he was stopped by a soldier, who looked to be panicking.

"S-sir! They've hit the Tartarus's vital point! We think we'll fall, so we're asking everyone to abandon-!"

"No, the Tartarus is strong enough to hold for at least another half hour. Get someone down there to fix it, and I'll hold off attacks on the deck," Jade commanded to the man.

"Y-yes sir!"

The wind blew fiercely and the fonists and soldiers on the deck struggled to stay on and attack. Jade closed his eyes and concentrated on an attack, blocking out the screams and cries of the surroundings. He envisioned the deck of the Kimlasca landship, the control room, the storage room, the cabins, and finally, the engine room. Whispering an incantation, he released a fiery explosion in the ship. He opened his eyes to see the red ship slow down as a burgundy sphere of fire erupted from its center.

The ship was rendered immobile, but Jade watched in puzzlement as an aircraft flew at extraordinary speed toward him from the fire. It soared overheard, pushing a few people off the deck with its force. It was gone in an instant, but about twenty Kimlascan soldiers were ejected, and landed on the Tartarus's deck.

One on one fighting broke out on the deck, and Jade backed up to the rail, searching for an escape. Unfortunantly, he was sighted by a soldier. "Stop right there, Jade the Necromancer!" an unfamiliar female voice cried. She raced forward, sword drawn, and brought it down at light speed. Jade rolled out of the way just in time, drawing his spear as he evaded.

The woman was dressed in a red Kimlasca suit and wore a helmet, her hair and face invisible. "Surrender your ship!"

"I'm afraid not," Jade said confidently, rising to his feet. They engaged in a small fight, spear versus sword, and seemed equally matched in skill. Explosions went off on both the Tartarus and the ground, but the two were not distracted.

They backed away safely, and started summoning spells at the same time. Words of beckoning raced across their lips, and soon bright red and light blue flashed simultaneously.

"Flamme Rouge!"

"Absolute!"

Due to lack of physical reflexes, they were both struck. The woman seemed faster, however, in recovering. "Say good-bye, Necromancer!" her voice called from the other side of the mist of clashing elements. Jade closed his eyes and had no choice but to take the hit fully. It was a blast of wind produced from her sword, he confirmed, as it pushed him off the Tartarus.

The heavy air rushed past him as he fell toward the ground. He instinctively tucked into a ball and hit the ground rolling, where he fell into a convenient ditch. He didn't feel a whole lot of pain and dusted the ashes off his charred suit, that was now a dusky blue-gray. Shaking the cinders out of his hair, he heard a voice and saw a monstrous mass shuffling toward him.

"Colonel!" The voice of a little girl hollered again. A gargantuan, buff-colored doll leapt over him and into the ditch. It turned to face him, it's mix-matched eyes blank and an almost villainous grin plastered on its face. A perky girl with black hair in pigtails jumped from its back and sat on its plushy head. "What are you doing in this ditch?" she asked in a sassy, high-pitched voice.

Jade looked around and then down at his hands. "I'm...recovering."

The girl leapt from the doll and down to the sticky ground, black wand in hand. "That's real heroic," she sneered sarcastically.

"And just what are you doing here, Anise? It's awfully dangerous." Jade ducked lower in the ditch as another fonic explosion went off. "You might get hurt."

"I'm here on Fon Master Ion's orders to support, protect, and represent Daath!" she said proudly, placing her fists on her hips. "And I don't think you're in any position to be worrying about _me_ getting hurt." The foreign girl nodded at the colonel's seared clothing and occasional wound.

"I suppose you're right," Jade said, peering over the top of the canal. "Did anyone come with you?"

"Nope, I came all by myself! Aren't you proud of me?" Anise grinned, pleased with herself. Jade nodded and Anise looked across the battlefield. She gasped and raised her wand above her head, spinning it rapidly. "Someone's in trouble!"

"Someone from Daath? You said no one came with you," Jade pointed out, looking over his shoulder cautiously.

Anise rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "A friend of yours, Colonel. Negative Gate!" A pink and purple orb appeared over a few soldiers, and someone raced into the ditch, diving in without any regards to who might've been in it.

"That was close," the soldier announced in relief, before his crystal blue eyes found Jade's. "Colonel?"

"Frings. Good to see you again," Jade said, both of them sinking further into the shelter of the channel. "This is Ionian Sergeant Anise Tatlin of the Oracle Knights. She's a Fon Master Guard. Anise, this is Frings, Brigadier General of Malkuth Military Forces." They nodded at each other indistinctly.

Anise hauled herself back onto the monster doll's back and took in a deep breath of thick air. "Alright, men! No use in sitting around, we've got a battle to fight!" The doll jumped forward and waddled to the fields and Jade helped Frings to his feet.

"Is she always like that?" Frings asked.

"No...well, yes. Let's go." The two took off running after the exuberant girl and her surprisingly mobile friend. They continued to fight for maybe another five minutes until the fighting began to diminish and Kimlasca started to retreat. One woman was still out there, shouting at troops, however.

"Let's get her!" Anise shouted, not noticing that she had taken Malkuth's side and temporarily abandoned Daath. "Eagle Dive!" she yelled, jumping into the air and bringing her creature down on the woman. However, the Kimlascan jumped back and landed on her feet. The ground shook slightly from Anise's landing, which knocked the woman to the ground. "Awww," Anise complained, looking at the woman from her vantage point. "I almost had you."

"Wh-who are you?!" the lady cried, groping for her dropped sword. Her brown eyes were wide with fear, and her light blonde hair was in disarray from the battle. She retrieved her weapon and stood straight at attention, looking from person to person until her eyes fell on Frings.

"You! Frings!" she snarled, a look of repugnance on her otherwise pretty face.

"Cecille!" Frings put his sword away immediately and raised his hands level with his head. "Please, I don't want to fight! Put away your weapon!"

Anise glanced back and forth between the two brigadier generals. "You two know each other?"

"Know each other?!" Cecille spat, glaring at Anise for an instant. "This dolt is the Malkuth version of me! I'm going to show him once and for all that I'm the better brigadier!" She pulled her sword back to stab him, but Frings dove to the ground in evasion. "Get up, you pansy!"

"Cecille, please stop! I don't want there to be any violence between us!" Frings continued to implore, though he lacked conviction from his inferior place on the ground, looking up Cecille's sword blade. She cut a red streak across his face, a look of detestation strong on her face. "Heh, you're the same witch you were last year."

"Witch?!" Cecille's eyes flashed bright red and she kicked Frings square in the shin. "I'll show you 'witch', you clumsy cad!"

"Alright, woman!" Frings interjected, jumping up and unleashing his sword. "I don't know what the hell I did to you, but you're gonna pay!" The two were soon busying themselves with an intense sword fight, as well as a name-calling contest.

Jade and Anise exchanged glances, then laughed nervously. "Let's get going."

A light sleet began to fall as Anise barreled through the soldiers, covering for Jade. "Ha! Dragon Surge!" A group of people fell to the ground, and Anise turned back to Jade in satisfaction. "These guys are easy!"

Jade nodded, eyes closed. "Yes, but you mustn't let your guard down. They are numerous, despite the retreat." Another group of them were struck by a large blade of lightning coming down from the sky. "Stubborn too..." Jade added as half the group rose back to their feet.

Anise was soon surrounded and Jade wasn't as protected. He stopped another spell to put up his guard and jumped back, only met with another soldier's blade. "Damn," he cursed, pressuring the new injury. With his free arm, he sliced the armored head off another solider, who fell emptily to the wet ground. "No time, my blood..."

"Colonel!" Anise exclaimed, looking over her shoulder from her height. "Hang on, I'm coming!" The doll swung it's lengthy arms around and Anise jumped off, landing softly on the dirt. "Wait, I'm almost there!"

"No, Anise!" Jade looked up, his bangs heavy with collecting raindrops. "Stay with Tokunaga!" Another solider came at him and grabbed his hair from behind, only to get elbowed in the gut. They collapsed, but Jade drove his spear through the man, just to be sure. Because he let his guard down, he was next met with the chilling sound of a girl's scream.

Turning abruptly, he saw a pair of red soldiers standing beside a fallen girl. "Anise!!"

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A/N: Heh heh, interesting, eh? I pick the worst time for cliffies, I know. Please review!


	8. Chapter 7 : Storms

_Chapter Seven - Storms_

A/N: Sorry for the slow update, I had to go to my grandma's all weekend, and of course, none of my files were there. So here's the long awaited chapter 7! (I think I've said something like that before) I hope this doesn't make any of you review less! Sometimes, if I don't update in a couple of days, people tend to forget about my story. (sniff sniff) Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Well, quite frankly, I'm afraid, I don't exactly..._own_ Tales of the Abyss.

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His spear spun wildly, knocking the two soldiers flat on their backs. "Anise!" Jade tried again, shifting the girl's head to look up at him. Her pink dress was soiled with a single spot of claret blood on the front of her chest. He held his ear over her mouth to listen to her breathing. The faint sound of liquid was heard in her breath, and Jade felt her face. It wasn't cold yet, but she was paling quickly.

Scooping her up in his arms, the colonel ran in the direction of the falling Tartarus. "Anise, say something!" he yelled desperately, ducking under an enemy sword slice.

The girl shifted weakly and groaned. "Colonel..." She was interrupted by a cough, producing hot, red blood from her trembling lips. Her eyes remained close, a look of suffering on her face. Jade tightened his grip and ran for the edge of the plains, where he hid from the light rain in a thick mass of trees. Frings, who had seen the two in trouble earlier, followed curiously.

"Anise, can you breathe?" Jade asked, lying her on the dry dirt of the woods.

"Bare...ly..." she managed in a strained voice. She coughed again as Jade undid the front of her dress. The area just to the left of her heart was punctured, opening her lung and causing a large amount of her blood to flow into her airstream. "Is it...bad?"

"Well, it missed your heart, but you may get pneumonia and..." Jade cut off as the girl fell back into unconsciousness. Frings entered the brush and froze at what he saw.

"Colonel!"

"Frings," Jade kept his eyes on Anise, thinking of a way to save her. "Do you have any medicine on you?"

Frings nodded silently and threw his bag to the man. "I-I'll go get help-"

"No." Using a lemon gel, the wound began to decrease in inflammation. "If Malkuth or Daath knows of us fightning together, we'll both get in trouble. Stay here and help me." Again, Frings nodded and knelt beside the injured girl. Jade wrapped a bandage around her middle as neatly as he could, then retrieved a pill from a small bottle. "This will seal the tissue in her lung so she doesn't drown." Looking up sharply, Jade said, "We need to find safety."

The two stood, Anise limp in Jade's arms, and they looked around. "We can't go to Grand Chokmah, or His Majesty will suspect something of Daath," Frings noted, thinking of another place. "We have naval ports all over-"

"I know where we'll go," Jade said, starting west. They walked out of the forest, the rain fading as it moved in the sky. Tiny sprinkles landed on Anise's blanched, unfeeling face, and they were soon out of the battlefield as well.

"Where are we going?" Frings asked, looking back.

Jade stopped for a moment and turned to the soldier. "Report to Emperor Peony that I am on business for a friend of mine who's in danger. Tell him I will return as soon as possible and will try to contact him before then."

Frings nodded and started back. "Take care of her," he said before running off.

The castle was a long ways from the battlefield, but Jade ran as fast as he could, never tiring nor stopping. Anise's blood dripped out the side of her mouth and was audible in her breathing by the time he reached the front door. He pushed the doors open and made his way down the stairs, to the basement.

"Jade!" he heard a voice call, Luke's. The boy raced into the room, but stepped back when he saw Anise, then Jade's own wound. "A-are you okay?"

"What happened?" Guy asked from the hallway, walking forward slowly. "She's...not a Malkuth or Kimlascan soldier."

"She's from Daath, a Fon Master Guardian-"

"Fon Master? What's that?" Luke made a face at the confusing word and Guy sighed hopelessly.

"It doesn't matter. I need to get this blood out of her lung, so give me a minute." Jade cleared his desk of papers, books, and glasses of substances, knocking them all to the floor. He rested Anise on it and felt her pulse, then opened her blood-stained clothing again.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Guy asked.

Jade paused for a moment, then turned. "I'm no doctor, but I'm going to save her. You can even help." This comment made Guy stiffen and step back.

"S-sorry, I don't think I could...help at all. Even if it is for medical reasons." Without another word, he dashed back into his room. Only Luke remained.

"Guy's really uncomfortable around women, so just ignore him," Luke said. Jade nodded, and went back to his project of saving the little girl.

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Jade sighed and removed his bloodied gloves. "That's the best I can do," he whispered to Anise's sleeping form. He lifted her and placed her on the bed in his room.

Luke appeared in the doorway and looked at the girl for a moment. "Who did that to her?" he asked softly.

Jade stroked the girl's coal-colored hair gently. "Kimlascan soldiers," he said with odium. Luke bit his lip and looked away, guilty that his country's soldiers would hurt his guardian's friend. "But war is war, and Anise shouldn't have let her guard down." Looking up, he added, "Try not to end up like her, Luke."

Luke nodded, and Jade stood. "I won't. I'll become a good enough fighter to defend myself."

The colonel smiled, before placing a hand on Luke's shoulder. "That's good, but for now, I need to do some research on you."

They left the room and Luke sat in a chair at the desk. "I'm just going to take a blood sample and analyze it. Nothing too serious."

"A blood sample?" Luke tried to mask the panic in his voice. "Er, I don't really like needles, but if you say so."

"Don't worry, it'll be short and painless," Jade promised, lifting Luke's wrist. "After this, we can go practice some more on the roof." Luke closed his eyes tightly in preparation. "And maybe tomorrow we can take a field trip back to Baticul." Jade stood, and Luke opened his eyes.

"Are you done?" Luke asked, looking at his wrist.

"Yes. That wasn't so bad, was it?" The colonel extracted the blood into a test tube, out of Luke's vision.

Luke stood also and stretched. "Not at all. And why are we going back to Baticul?"

"Just to pay a visit to your parents. They're no doubt worried about you." The two faced each other.

"Oh yeah...my parents." Luke looked at the floor blankly. "I guess I should go see them."

"They'll get suspicious if you've been away too long."

"It hasn't even been a week yet," Luke guessed in annoyance. "Those two are so paranoid." Just then, Guy walked back in the room.

"That poor girl. She's still unconscious." The servant approached the two. "Well, she'll wake up on her own, so why don't we get some practices in?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, let's go. I still have a lot to learn, so they sooner we get started, the better." While those two walked to the roof, Jade stayed behind, looking after them.

_He certainly doesn't act like a spoiled brat. Maybe he's something more than just a duke's son,_ Jade thought. He was interrupted by them calling his name. "I'll be right there."

It was unusually damp and cloudy outside, but the trio went on the roof. A powerful wind blew, but ceased a few seconds later. The weather pattern was unpredictable.

Luke ran to the edge of the castle roof and looked across the sky. "Oh yeah, I remember seeing some clouds by the setting sun the other night."

"The wind's blowing out of the west, so those clouds are coming our way," Guy observed. "And fast."

"Ah yes, I do recall the sleet on the battlefield. It was churning in the direction of the castle." Jade smiled regardless of the poor weather and put his hands in his pockets as the wind picked up again. "That's a shame, but if we get some work done, we can spend the rest of the evening indoors."

"What about tomorrow, when we go to Baticul?" Luke asked. The three formed a triangle, Luke drawing his sword.

"The storm will have passed by then, I'm certain. This is only a minor rainstorm, no lightning." Adjusting his glasses, Jade took his position by the dummy. "Let's see how you've progressed."

After a few minutes of review, Luke jumped back. The dummy was in shreds. "Piece of cake," he said, grinning.

"Good. Now I'm going to teach you a bit about artes. The four types of artes you will learn about are basic artes, arcane artes, fonic artes, and mystic artes. Guy, please demonstrate an arte." Guy nodded and stepped forward. "Artes are attacks enhanced usually by fonons of your body and the elements around you," Jade continued.

"Demon Fang!" Guy shouted, swinging his sword to produce a white blade, which ran across the roof and into the straw dummy. The target finally fell off its post.

Luke stared in amazement. "Can I even _do _something like that?"

Jade repositioned the dummy. "Well, not exactly the same, but if you can harness your power in the same fashion, then it's entirely possible. Try it. Just use the power of your fonons and channel them into your blade, then strike your opponent."

Luke closed his eyes and positioned his sword accordingly. "Fonons...?" A warm sensation ran to his hands and he swung his sword at the dummy as Jade stepped back. Striking it, he shouted "Fang Blade" and leapt above it in a vertical slash. Although he felt somewhat drained, he also felt somewhat accomplished.

"Very good," Jade praised as thunder rumbled low in the distance. "You'll learn more of these as you progress as a fighter. Nothing a few sessions of training won't help."

Guy stepped forward and said, "Arcane artes are similar to the base arte you just performed, except they're a little more advanced. They are also the trigger for mystic artes, which are very powerful and hard to pull off. You have to be at the top of your potential to witness those. As for fonic artes..." He turned to Jade.

Eyes closed, the man said, "Fonic artes are used by fonists and the like. They require a great deal of concentration, magic energy, patience, and knowledge. Someone like you, a swordsmen, has no use for them, but it helps to learn about them so you can better understand what an ally may be experiencing." He pulled a hand out of his coat pocket and took a stance. "These artes can be very powerful depending on the level of the user and the level of the attack."

A fonic glyph appeared under his feet as words emitted from his lips, all meaningless to Luke. Another glyph glowed brightly and expanded until it disappeared. Several feet from Jade, a chalky mass of wind swirled at the ground before shooting up with violent force. As it settled, a green ring glimmered on the stone, designs circling its border.

"Wow, that was amazing!" Luke interjected. "You didn't make it look nearly as hard as you made it sound."

Jade laughed shortly. "I'm a fairly accomplished fonist, and I've done that arte enough times to have mastered it."

While Luke continued to recover from the awe, Guy hit him on the shoulder and pointed at the green ring. "Look at that."

"Hm, what _is _that?" Luke asked.

"It's a Field of Fonons, like I was telling you the other day." Guy rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you forgot."

"No, I remember. It's the big confusing ring of 'fonons', I know," Luke said, shrugging.

"Let me tell you about them. They can be very useful in battle so listen closely. Fields of Fonons are areas of concentrated..." While Jade explained the Fields of Fonons, Luke chose not to listen and instead stared at his surroundings.

_Hm, Jade's been really patient with teaching me all this. And Guy, who actually left the castle to keep up with me, is here too. They've both been teaching me a lot. I should consider thanking them for this sometime, but it always seems to be an inconvenience with everyone's daily tasks. Tests, research, training, military business, we hardly have any time to just talk. And now that that girl is here, Jade will probably put a lot of time into taking care of her. I wonder who she is, and why my people were so determined to hurt her. I mean, I know about the war and everything, but she's still just a little kid. Hard to believe she's a soldier._

_Which really gets me thinking about Master Van and that person who claims his name was Asch. I wonder who he is, and why Master Van called him Luke, and why the two of them were fighting. Jade says I'll learn it all in time, but how long? I really want to know, and if I don't find out soon, I'll probably get amnesia again and forget all about it! That reminds me, I need to write in my journal. Since we're going to Baticul soon, I'll need to convince Mom and Dad that I've really been keeping up with everything. Otherwise, Jade will probably get in trouble. I wonder why he's doing these tests on me anyway. He told me I'd realize this in time too, but I'm really getting tired of that excuse. Maybe I'm better off not knowing wh-_

"Luke!" He snapped his attention to the sound of the voice, which was Guy. "Sorry man, you were spacing out a little."

Jade pushed his hair back and supressed a sigh of frustration. "Since you seemed to be paying such close attention, why don't you go ahead and demonstrate on that Field of Fonons I set up? It should be easy for you."

Luke approached the green ring and stood outside it. _Man, I really wish I would've paid attention!!_ He turned to Jade for guidance.

"Go ahead, stand inside it," Jade said, apparently as a reminder. Luke did so, then waited for about five seconds.

"Er, Fang Bla-?" There was a blinding pea green light and Luke felt his sword take on a mind of its own. "Lightning Tiger Blade!" he shouted without control. He jumped up and a pulse of indigo lightning charged down on the dummy, then his sword sliced it in half vertically. Everything was quiet for a few seconds.

"W-whoa, that was just like Fang Blade only with lightning!" Luke turned to Jade, who raised an eyebrow. "And you're saying that little Field of Fonons did all of that?"

"Isn't that what I explained earlier? You seemed to be taking such thorough notes." Luke slumped at his tutor's sarcasm and sat down. "That was the gale fonon. Now, why don't we get started on Over Limit? This, you may actually want to listen to. It can be the path to the mystic arte Guy was telling you about."

Jade explained the Over Limit, with Luke's endless questions, and Guy sat on the wall ledge. Staring at the sky after a while, Guy felt something cold land on his nose. He paused, then raised a hand to the water drop. "Looks like it's made up its mind to rain after all," he said to himself.

"Wait wait wait, so I have to use an arcane arte to use a mystic arte _during _my Over Limit?" Luke offered, pulling his hair in confusion.

"Are you dense? That's what I just said!" Jade's eyes flashed and he nearly throttled the boy, but was stopped by Guy.

"Hey, we'd better get inside before you end up killing someone! It's looking like rain anyway." Guy pulled Jade back inside, Luke following. As they closed the door, they immediately heard the thunderous pounding of the rain. "Made it just in time."

Downstairs, the lab was invariably quiet, the dead hum of the machines and barrage of rainfall the only sounds. "I'm going to go check on Anise," Jade said, leaving Guy and Luke in the main room.

After about five minutes of quiet lab-exploring, the door opened from the outside and Van stepped in, drenched.

"Huh? Van? What are you doing here?" Guy asked, standing from his spot on the sofa. Van raised a finger to his lips in silence.

"She'll hear us," he said eerily, looking around.

"Who will? Who'll hear us?" Luke pestered. Behind Van, the door slid open and another figure ran inside, also sopping wet. "Oh, her?"

"Van! Freeze!" The woman's voice was strong and she held a staff of some sort. "Nocturnal Light!" she shouted, whipping out a series of knives and launching them at her enemy. He dodged them, and Guy and Luke were forced to jump aside.

The lady stepped into the light as Van moved back. Her hair was long and straight, brown and heavy. Her eyes were a brilliant ultramarine, however clouded with apparent hatred. "There's nowhere else to run, Vandesdelca!"

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A/N: Another cliffie! O, I am just an endless source of cliffhangers! If you don't know who the chick is...then dang. Well, I'll have Chapter 8 up soon, depending on your reviews!


	9. Chapter 8 : Awakenings

_Chapter Eight - Awakenings_

A/N: Okay, on with it! Sorry for the delay, my speech is coming up this weekend. ;

Disclaimer: Don't own ToA.

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The woman stopped, knives arranged between her gloved fingers. She looked fairly young, though the lighting made it hard to determine. Her strong face made the gash on her arm unnoticable. She didn't even breathe heavily at the pain. "Van, please stop what you're doing! I don't want to hurt you!" The girl seemed to ignore the fact that Luke and Guy were standing behind Van, and that she was in unfamiliar territory.

"Mystearica, you have to understand. What I do is not for evil, it is to free people from their prisons!" Van placed a hand on his sword hilt, glancing back only once at Luke and Guy.

"But in such a violent way!"

"There's nothing violent about it!" Van took a step back in retreat and looked at the ceiling. A light was glowing, white and radiant. "This is none of your concern."

Jade raced out of the hallway into the room where the commotion was. "What's going on?!" Van stepped under the strange light that poured from the ceiling. "Van!"

The girl called Mystearica ran towards it also, but a force held her back, it seemed. "Van! Don't run away, you coward!"

An ominous voice laughed, echoing through the room. It seemed to come from the light, but also from the entire room, swirling around the walls and ceiling. _"Van is no coward! You should know that by now, Tear." _It was a woman's voice.

"M-Major Legretta?!" Tear cried, squinting up at the light. "Please, stop him!"

_"You aren't a fool, Tear. Open your eyes!"_ With a final smirk from Van, he disappeared as the light consumed him with a voracious howl. Tear gave an almost inaudible shout as the others shielded their eyes from the light. The strange incident was soon over, a silence filling the void.

Tear looked at the ground, and Luke walked over to her. "Hey, are you alright? Your arm is..."

The girl flinched and nodded. "Ah, yes. I'm sorry about all the commotion here, and if there's anything I can do to make up for all this..." she trailed off.

Jade stepped forward. "It's quite alright. Van is an aquaintance of ours, and we're used to these types of things." Tear nodded, her face paling. "Now are you going to do something about that wound or should I treat it?"

"I-I'll take care of it. I'm sorry." She placed one of her flawlessly white gloved hands on her arm and closed her eyes. The wound lit up green as the others looked on in amazement. "My name is Tear. I'm a soldier of the Oracle Knights of the Order of Lorelei. Van is...my brother, and he has some sort of twisted idea." Her eyes shot open, heated with vengeance. "I'm determined to stop him."

"I didn't know Master Van had a sister..." Luke mumbled, keeping his eyes on Tear's wound. "My name's Luke."

"I'm Guy," the blonde said, keeping his distance. "And I'm sorry about your brother."

Tear nodded silently, eyes closed again.

"I'm Jade Curtiss. Since you seem to be hurt, you can stay here as long as you like."

"Thank you, but I'm alright now. I really must be going." She turned, her wound vanished. "I appreciate it, but as a soldier, I cannot trust you, nor make friends with you. This may be a trap."

"Look around, Tear," Guy said, waving his arm at the machines. "There's nothing going on down here but simple, harmless research. It's raining outside, and we're making an offer. Soldier or not, you can still try to be friends with us." His charming smile made her hesitate, and Jade continued for him.

"I was also hoping that, since you are a healer who uses the Seventh Fonon, you would heal a little girl. She's a friend of mine who, in effort to save me, was injured. She's suffering greatly as we speak." He saw the woman stir at mention of the Seventh Fonon, but finally, nodded again. "Please follow me."

Anise's room was scented with blood, and her face was pale as snow. "Oh my..." Tear knelt beside her and checked her pulse at the same time as her own. "This isn't good." Jade stood behind the healer while Guy and Luke lingered in the doorway.

Removing the stained red bandages, she paused. "Who did this bandaging?"

There was another pause, then Jade said, "I did. It's not very professional, but it's the best I could do for-"

"No, actually," Tear interrupted, "if you hadn't done this, she would have died." With her first smile since arrival, she said, "Well done."

Placing a hand on Anise's wound and holding her staff across her own chest, she began to murmur the healing incantation. A pale blue light surged through her staff, and then her hand. The wound began to close up, and Jade watched with interest. Soon, Anise had been renewed completely.

Tear sank down in exhaustion. "That should do it."

"Are you alright?" Guy asked.

"Yes, I'm not fully able to harness my power yet, but I'll be fine." Tear listened closely, and it was apparent that Anise's breathing had regulated. "She's fine too."

"That's a relief!" Luke interjected. "Now I'm starved, let's go eat something!" He left hurriedly.

Tear stared after him, then looked at Jade. He only shook his head.

In the makeshift kitchen, Guy was making their food. "So Tear, you're a soldier from the Order of Lorelei?" She nodded, fidgeting at the table. "Then what are you doing chasing your brother around, trying to kill him?"

"Well, like I said, he has this plan, and I don't like it. He wants to stray from the Score, and save people from their 'prisons', or lives bound by the Score. So as a follower of Lorelei and Grand Maestro Mohs, I think his plan is insane." Luke was nodding off, Guy was stirring the stew, nodding, and Jade was listening intently. "He wants to destroy the Score, and he plans to do things that were not predicted by the Score. One of those examples is the creation of repli-"

"Tear, I agree that what's he's doing is wrong," Jade interrupted. "But that's no reason to kill him." The girl paused, then lowered her head. "Tell us a little about yourself."

"Well, my name is Mystearica Grants, I was born in Hod, and I _am_ a healer who uses the Seventh Fonon. I'm quite impressed that you noticed. I'm a soldier who trained under Major Legretta, and I am a proficient fighter. I'll defend you all in exchange for letting me stay here. I am also very grateful that you're allowing me to stay."

"Oh, so you decided not to return after all?" Guy asked.

"At least not for a while, if you don't mind," Tear said, then she caught a glance at Luke. "What's your name again?"

"I'm Luke. Luke Fon Fabre," he said boredly, continuing to stare at the ceiling.

"Luke," she said quietly, feeling herself blush. "Nice to meet you. And since that little girl needs my help," she continued, turning her attention back to the whole group, "I'll probably be here a while. I hope it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all! The more the merrier!" Guy walked over to the table and set the olla podrida down. "Well, Tear Grants, I hope you enjoy your stay here. It's not the most luxurious of places, but it's good enough." Tear thanked him and they all began their dinner.

Throughout the meal, glances were more often exchanged than words. Jade continued to give Tear suspecting looks, and she occasionally threw a glance at Luke, who was staring at his food. Guy looked from person to person, noticing their feelings for each other. Ever since Tear had arrived, things had definitely been more intense.

Before long, the air became too quiet. They all looked up. "The rain has stopped," Tear pointed out, shortly before sneezing. "Ah, I'm sorry."

"Oh, that's right. You'd been out in the rain before you arrived here," Jade said, standing. "Well then, why don't you go take a nice, cleansing bath and we'll take care of drying your clothes. Then later, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping from now on." Jade hurried her down the hall.

Guy and Luke sat in momentary silence. "Well, he either really likes her or really hates her," Guy said, scratching his head in confusion.

"Yeah, you can never tell with Jade." Luke finally stood, the faint conversation down the hall diminishing. "As for me, I'm going to bed soon."

"I hope that Anise girl is okay." Guy stood also, collecting everyone's dishes. Luke nodded absently.

"I guess even though we're out of the manor, you still think you're a servant," Luke noted, watching Guy put the dishes up. Guy stopped and looked at the table.

"Yeah, I guess so," he laughed, placing the dishes in the sink. "But that's okay. I'm used to it." Despite that comment, Luke picked up the remaining plates and began to wash them. "Luke, you don't have to help me."

"I know I don't _have _to," Luke said, avoiding eye contact with his friend. "But maybe I want to." He cursed himself for over-confidence in his voice, but Guy didn't seem to mind. _I feel sorry for Guy, he always has to do stuff on his own. I never treated him very well as a servant, and now that we're out of the manor, I still treat him badly! I guess I'll just make it up to him._

"Luke?" Guy nudged his friend with his elbow. "You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, sorry." Luke turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.

Jade came around the corner, re-entering the room. "I just wanted to remind you two that we're leaving for Baticul bright and early tomorrow, assuming it won't rain again." With his unchanging smile, he continued, "It's to inform your father of the situation, so Guy," he turned to the servant, "I suggest you say as little as possible, in fear of you giving us away."

Guy nodded silently, and Jade left. "Baticul..."

-------------

The night went by quietly. Tear sat in her small room, brushing her long hair. "This is not what I expected," she said to her reflection through a dusty, cracked vanity mirror. "I just wanted to kill Van, but these people...they're so insistent." She closed her oceanic eyes and heaved a sigh. However, her eyes flew open and her spine grew rigid at the sound of a crash. It was in the building, but far from her room.

She remained statue-still for about three minutes before rising from her seat and glancing out the door. "Hello?" Her voice echoed, uneasiness wobbling down the hall. There was a shifting noise, and she hastily withdrew into her room. She pulled out a knife and walked to her bed. Crawling under her sheets, the light was turned off.

_Hm, some soldier I am._ She clutched the knife tightly and lied awake in bed.

-Luke's room-

Luke shot up in bed at the sound of a near-inaudible crash. Gasping for breath, he hesitated, then held his hand out in front of him. He watched it tremble in the frosted light provided by the moon. "Just a dream..." he told himself, pushing his messy hair back with shaking fingers.

After realizing going back to sleep was out of the question, Luke walked over to the window and onto the coarse, stone balcony. The castle was no doubt old and decreped, but having been his parents' vacation home, he had a bit of respect for it. The wind was blowing very gently, and the moon was bright behind gray clouds of torn cotton.

Holding his arms for warmth, his thoughts drifted back to his dream. "Why would I dream...something like _that_?"

-------------

The next morning, the brilliant moon was replaced by a pink sun, lighting the sky with a soft azure. Luke blinked awake, the sound of rapid footsteps coming his way. He reflexively sat up and reached for his sword, but the figure of a little girl bolted into his room. "Ah, you're awake!" she exclaimed with a screeching voice. Anise.

"I'm not the one who's been sleeping for the past day and a half," Luke argued and the girl came closer. She extended an enthusiastic hand.

"I'm Ionian Sergeant Anise Tatlin, Oracle Knights Fon Master Guard." Luke shook her hand. "I guess Colonel probably told you the story about me."

"Yeah, and I'm Luke Fon Fabre. Jade's doing research on me and stuff, so that's why I'm here." Anise raised her eyebrows and grinned evilly. "Wh-what?"

Supressing a giggle, Anise said, "Nothing! Anyway, I don't remember anything that happened to me after a certain point on the battlefield, so what happened?"

"Someone healed you," Luke said simply, getting out of bed and straightening his clothes. "Well, before that, Jade took you here from the battlefield and tried to keep you from bleeding and stuff, but then this weird chick showed up and did all this stuff concerning Master Van, then ended up healing you." After receiving a blank stare from Anise, Luke said, "Ask Jade for details."

"So, where's _here_ exactly?" she asked curiously.

"Choral Castle."

"...Where?"

Luke sighed and pulled his coat on. "I don't know, I was taken from my manor and ended up here too." Anise's eyes lit up.

"M-manor? Meaning you have...money?"

"Yeah, I'm Duke Fabre's son. Anyway, we're going there today, so you'll get to see." _Man, this girl scares me._

As the two walked out of his room, Anise folded her arms and bowed her head in thought. "This has been bothering me too. Did you say _Van_ was here recently?"

Luke ignored her and pointed somewhere. "Oh, look! There's Tear now, the girl who healed you. Go thank her." He pushed her in the direction, then ditched her. Anise sulked for a moment, then thought again about Van.

Tear walked over to her slowly. "Oh good, you're awake," she said softly, kneeling before the girl. "I'm Tear. Are you feeling better?"

Putting on the best, fake grin she had, Anise replied, "Yes! I'm feeling much better! Thank you so much for taking care of me!"

Guy approached the group. "We're going to Baticul now. Are you two ready?" His gaze fell on Anise. "Oh, are you alright now?"

"Yes, thanks for worrying about me, everyone!" she said with a bright smile. "I'm Anise."

"I'm Guy, Luke's servant. I'm here to make sure everything goes smoothly with his research."

Anise's eyes gleamed again. "He's so rich, he has _servants_!" she said with admiration, which scared the other two a bit. "Er, sorry! Let's get going! Where's Colonel?"

Jade entered the room, fastening his uniform coat hurriedly. "Sorry, I overslept. Oh, Anise, you're okay." Anise rolled her eyes.

"Will everyone stop acting like it's a miracle? I'm a solider, I can handle injuries!" Guy and Tear exchanged glances, and Jade just laughed. "Seriously!"

"If you say so. Hm, what's this?" Jade picked up a piece of paper on a nearby table. He recognized the elegant cursive immediately. "Honestly, why doesn't he just talk to me?" Luke entered the room and attempted to read the note. Jade pulled it from his view though and continued to scan the writing.

"What's that? Who's it from? What's it say?" Anise pestered, too short to see a glimpse of the letter. "Is it a secret admirer note?"

"You could almost say that," Jade said, still deciphering the text. "Considering Dist, one may think that with his way of wording things."

"Dist the Reaper?!" Anise sneered, making a face. "What's he doing delivering mail, especially to you, Colonel?'

"You know why he writes to me," Jade said, placing the note in his pocket. "He's had an undying obsession with me ever since I can remember." Anise smirked and giggled, and Luke backed up, wondering if he was kidding or not.

"Hm, speaking of, I heard something last night," Tear recalled, placing a finger on her lips in thought. "A crash, in this room."

Jade glanced at an overturned lab table, all of its contents spilled across the floor. "You mean that."

"What happened?" Tear asked.

"I imagine it was Dist, trying to deliver this message in the dark. He can be a real klutz sometimes. Regardless, shall we be on our way?" Jade led the way onto the field, and they walked across the plains to the city of Baticul.

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A/N: Sorry, introductions are a little difficult to get by for me. Regardless, the trip to Baticul is in the next chapter, so please review with your opinion! This will pick up speed in the next 2 or 3 chapters, so don't give up! I'm counting on you all! You are my motivation!


	10. Chapter 9 : Sights

_Chapter Nine - Sights_

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The road to Baticul was comfortable, if not long. The weather was still humid because of the rainstorm earlier, and looked to rain again later. However, for now, the sun was lighting past the thin clouds, giving the group a field patched with shadows to walk across. They stopped once to take a break.

"Man, how much further is it?" Luke planted himself in the shade of a tree and leaned back on his arms. "I'm not used to walking around this much."

Anise sat down next to him and sighed deeply. "No kidding. Couldn't we at least take a coach or something?"

"And here I thought we could make a whole trip without any complaints," Jade remarked with a disappointed shrug. "But I suppose we can take a short break."

"How can you expect no complaints when we're practically walking across the country?" Luke asked incredulously.

Tear seated herself and pulled out an assortment of ingredients from her bag. She sat silently, making herself a meal, while everyone else watched. The girl paused and looked up. "What?"

"What are you doing?" Anise asked.

"I'm making some rice balls. Do you want some?" She gave everyone else a curious look, but no one accepted. "Alright."

"I guess cooking can be pretty important when you're on a long trip," Guy commented, leaning against the shading tree. "Good thinking, Tear."

"I'm used to it. My brother...Van, used to do it all the time when we went on walks together." She stopped there, and continued with her food. After a small silence, she resumed, "You know, I've only been with you all one day, and you already treat me like family. Taking me to Baticul, welcoming me into your home, and even providing me with food. I appreciate it." She looked up and smiled tenderly at her new friends.

Luke stood and stretched dramatically. "Yeah, no problem. We're all strangers, and I guess we're all friends too. Just accept it." With the jerk of his head, he said, "Let's get going."

Guy and Jade sighed simultaneously. "Who put him in charge?" Guy asked Jade.

"Hey, we're going to _my _city, to see _my _parents. That puts me in charge." He walked ahead, and the other four only exchanged glances.

-------------

Baticul, built in a deep crater, was as busy and industrial as ever. Luke raced up the stairs and waited for the others at the elevator. "Come on, hurry up!"

"What's got you so excited? I thought you hated the manor!" Guy looked up at the elevator. "We're just going to see your parents and maybe His Majesty." The others arrived and the elevator lurched towards them.

"I know, but I guess I'm kind of homesick," Luke admitted. They boarded the elevator, cramming it completely. "Damn, they need to build these bigger."

"We'll be lucky if this doesn't break because of our weight," Jade pointed out, smiling optimistically. Anise sighed, and Luke grabbed the rail in fear. It jerked and grinded unpleasantly up the city.

Once they reached the top, Luke headed for the manor. "Hey, maybe we should go see His Majesty first," Guy suggested, pointing at the enormous castle. "I have to ask him something, and Princess Natalia will want to see you again."

"That weird chick?" Luke made a face, but followed. Anise bounded happily to his side.

"Oh, are you and her engaged? That's so sweet!" Her sepia eyes grew starry.

"H-how'd you know that?" Luke asked, bewildered at the small girl's knowledge.

"Duh, why else would she want to see you?" Anise shook her head. "You can be so dense, Luke."

Luke almost said something in argument, but resisted. They were inside the castle. Lavish purples and blues greeted them, and a steep, centered staircase towered before them. "You know where to find Princess Natalia, so I'll meet up with you all later." Guy made his way up the stairs to King Ingobert's Audience Hall.

Luke scoffed in annoyance. "Why do I have to go talk to her?"

Anise latched onto the redhead's arm and leaned against him. "I want to meet her!" she purred.

"Get off me!"

"What's all the shouting?" A woman about Luke's age emerged from the western door, arms folded importantly. "Please, not in the cast-! Luke!" She ran toward him as fast as she could in her formal attire. "You're back!"

"Well, for now..." Luke rolled his eyes. "Guy went to talk to Uncle. He'll be back later. That's why we're here."

"Oh, it's so good to see you again!" The girl eyed Anise, who was still clinging to Luke, then turned to Jade and Tear. "My, who are all these people?"

"Uh, right. I forgot." Prying Anise off, Luke turned to the other two. "Everyone, this is Princess Natalia of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. You should've already known that though."

Jade stepped forward and took Natalia's hand in his own, kneeling. "It is an honor to be in your presence, Princess," he said, kissing her gloved hand smoothly. As he rose, Natalia nodded in acknowledgment, blushing faintly. "I'm Colonel Jade Curtiss, Third Division Malkuth Imperial Forces."

Tear bowed awkwardly, ashamed of her lack of manners. "I'm Tear Grants, a soldier of the Oracle Knights."

Extending her hand ever-proudly, Anise said, "And I'm Anise Tatlin, Oracle Knights Fon Master Guard! It's nice to finally meet you!" Natalia shook her hand uneasily, the boisterous girl a bit too enthusiastic for her tastes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Natalia turned back to Luke. "This is quite the group you have here. A rather motley crew if I do say so myself." Anise scowled at the statement. "Oh, I'm sorry, little girl. You have me all wrong."

"My name is Anise..." she mumbled.

"Yeah, but they're all nice and helpful and stuff, so don't worry about them." Luke looked up to see Guy coming back down the stairs. "Guess we're heading for the manor now. See ya!" Luke was gone in a flash, and Natalia sighed.

"Why can't he be like he was when he proposed to me?" she asked abjectly. Her eyes were sorrowful, but she regained composure. "Well, thank you all for taking care of Luke." With that, she was gone.

Outside the castle, Luke was waiting. "There you all are. Let's go!" They approached the manor, Luke walking ahead of them all. "And to think I used to hate this place. It's good to be home!"

Anise stopped short and squinted at the entrance. "Who's that?" She pointed at a figure standing outside the manor, staring at the sign. "A visitor?"

The visitor turned at the sound of a voice, resentment strong on his features. He narrowed his eyes, an autumn wind stirring his wine-colored mane. "Replica..." he hissed under his breath.

"It's Asch," Jade said, stopping in surprise. "This is unexpected."

"What are you doing here?" Luke shouted, hastily grabbing his sword. "Get away from my home!"

"_Your_ home?!" Asch bit back, also fingering his weapon. "Stay back, worthless dreck!"

"Wh-who're you calling worthless?!" Luke raised his sword and rashly brought it down on Asch. But the stranger sidestepped easily, and a maid was almost severed as she approached the two from the manor entrance.

"Aah!" she screamed, freezing where she was at as the steel flashed before her. "G-good morning, Master Luke!" she forced her energetic personality.

Luke sheathed his sword. "Sorry." He and Asch exchanged hateful glares. The maid stepped forward, positioning herself below the arches of the manor entrance.

"W-would you like to come in, Master Luke, and...Master Luke's brother?" The maid's smile trembled as she bowed deeply. "Please follow me, everyone." They all complied and walked into the shining manor, perfectly polished floors squeaking beneath their shoes.

"Madam Fabre has been anxiously awaiting your return," the maid chirped, looking at Asch. "She's been very worried." Asch rolled his eyes, and Luke blinked in confusion. "In fact, His Grace has set up a nice dinner for you this evening, and all of your friends." They took another turn, down a long hallway. "And you certainly have a large group with you. Why, I've only been working for His Grace for so long, so I never knew you had a brother!" She looked back at Luke, then Asch, then laughed nervously.

"Uh, I'll take it from here," Guy interjected, and the anonymous maid bowed and ran off. "Sorry, she can be a bit...she's new." Tear nodded, watching the frightened girl run away.

They finally stopped outside a large door. "Well, this is Madam Fabre's room," Guy continued with the introduction. After a small silence, Guy said, "I guess we're all going in, huh?"

Asch backed up. "I'm not. I'm outta here!"

"No!" Luke grabbed his arm to stop him. "Maybe I can find out just who you are if my parents see you." Asch attempted to pull away, but Luke held him unyeildingly.

"I can't go in there!" Asch argued persistently. "I didn't even intend to enter the manor. Let go!"

"Let him go, Luke," Jade said, resting his hand on Luke's. "You can solve this mystery later, but right now, we need to inform your mother of your safe return."

Luke paused before pulling his hand off Asch loathingly. "Hmph, fine." Asch shot him a fierce look, turned to Madam Fabre's room, and left in the opposite direction. They could hear the maid from earlier ask, "Leaving so soon, Master Luke?"

"Come on, I want to meet your mother!" said Anise, who had been quiet too long. "Plus I'm starving, and that dinner sounds good." They opened the door and stepped inside. It was a nice room, cozy yet royal. A woman was seated, staring hopelessly at the floor until she heard them enter.

"Luke, is that you?" Susanne stood from her place on her bed and embraced him warmly. "It's good to see you're alright. Is everything going fine?"

"Yeah, the research and experiments and all that...it's all fine," Luke said, averting his gaze. He couldn't help but think about his own suspicion though.

"Who are these lovely guests?" She asked, clasping her hands together and looking at each of them. The introductions went as they did with Princess Natalia, and Susanne was quite taken with them all. "Well, you should go get ready for the feast, Luke. We know you'll be away even longer after this, so we want to properly say good-bye, in case..." she trailed off, still smiling weakly.

-------------

The dinner was at the table in the Drawing Room. The best of Kimlascan foods were served to Duke Fabre, Susanne, Luke, and the other four guests. It was early, the sun still up, but low. The air was quiet and tense, yet the Duke made conversation regardless.

"Well, I do appreciate your kindness and patience with our son's amnesia. I hope your country manages to find the cure, and maybe Luke will someday regain his memories of this family." The Duke kept his focus on Jade, cautious of anything he might say or do that would give anything away.

The colonel nodded. "And I thank you for lending me your son so that my country has hope for medical improvements. It must be difficult for you, seeing that Luke had been so recently traumatized by the kidnapping. For you to let someone from an opposing country borrow your son is truly generous."

"Yes, I had been talking to my brother about peace between Malkuth and Kimlasca, but he won't listen. Not to mention war is already underway." The Duke shook his head sadly. "I wish I could do something about it."

Tear looked up from her plate. "If that's how you really feel, the Order of Lorelei council is also considering peace, much against Grand Maestro Mohs's wishes. Maybe you could talk to them about it in Daath."

Duke Fabre nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, perhaps so." He turned to Guy. "Ah, did you talk to the King about the issue concerning the replication facility we saw?"

Jade nearly choked on his water as Guy opened his mouth to confirm the meeting. "Excuse me, concerning the _what_?" Jade asked in alarm.

The duke raised his eyebrows at the outburst, but it was Guy who spoke. "Duke Fabre and I saw an uncharted building somewhere, and when soldiers went to excavate it, they classified it as an old building with strange machinery in it. Later, they determined the machines, having been recently used, were built for creating clones of things, such as animals. I don't really know the details though."

Jade glanced over at Luke, who was thankfully not listening, then turned back to the duke. "Could you tell me the location of this facility?"

"If you're planning on exploring it, then it's around the city of St. Binah. It shouldn't be hard to find." The duke smiled sharply. "More Malkuth research?"

"This is personal," Jade said coldly, dropping the subject.

-------------

After the dinner, Luke stood in his room. "So...bored. I want to go back to research." He thudded his head against the wall and sighed. "Why was I excited about the manor to begin with? This place sucks."

"If that's what you think, would you join me on a walk?" Luke jumped at the sound of the voice in his doorway. Jade was standing there, hands in his pockets, smiling contently. "Or you could sit around here sulking for the rest of the evening."

"I-I'll be right there," Luke said. He pulled his coat back on as Jade headed outside.

The citizens of Baticul were beginning to close up for the night, a chilly wind blowing steadily. The streets became deserted as the two made their way across the dusky stone paths. Reddish light poured across the city pavement, making the orange-red flags appear more brilliant. As cool as the night was, the sun was still warming.

They walked mostly in silence and soon were approaching the port. The ominous dahlia sun had yet to sink below the mottled green sea, lighting it with rays of the thickest cardinal red. A few people lingered near the dock, staring mournfully at the sun.

"Wow," Luke said as they neared the gently splashing edge. "I never saw sunsets like this when I lived in the manor."

Jade stopped, adjusting his glasses as the ever-present wind current blew out of the west. "Yes, it is quite beautiful." Seagulls called to one another merrily, dancing across the purple-orange sky. The red spilling across the ocean reminded him too much of the blood of his enemies. Cringing, he turned away. "It must've been bad for you, in the manor."

Luke turned also. "Well...yeah, it was. I hated being trapped up in there all the time. That's why I was so eager to go with you." He looked up in the direction of the castle. "To get away from everything there."

Jade nodded knowingly, and closed his eyes. "And you like being trapped in a research laboratory better?"

"At least you let me come to see my family. Plus Guy's there, and those two girls, Tear and Anise. And..." He stopped. After a passing silence, Luke turned back to the sunset. The giant, fiery orb had just begun its descent below the water horizon. It surged its remaining rays across the violet sky, creating streams of warmth through the mauve clouds.

"I appreciate your trust in me," Jade said blankly, as he faced the light again. He walked to Luke and placed his gloved hand on the boy's shoulder. "I never knew what it felt like to miss one's parents. So I'll make sure you don't experience the same neglect I did." The colonel bowed his head to hide the pain of his past memories.

"Did you not have parents?" Luke asked with concern, as the sun continued to efface beneath the sea. When Jade didn't respond, Luke bit his lip and turned further from him. "I'm sorry. I guess you don't want to talk about it."

But to his surprise, Jade smiled honestly. "It's alright. The past is the past, and the present," he touched Luke's hand so their eyes finally met, "Is the present."

They again looked to the ocean in unison, and saw the last effort of the sun, until it was gone. They let dusk set in before heading back, the brilliant reds from earlier turning into pale indigo. Leaden footpaths were near silent beneath their boots as they came close to the manor.

Inside, velvety carpets muffled their footsteps and Jade escorted Luke back to his room. "Tomorrow, I'm going to do some investigating on my own, so I'll walk part of the way back to the castle with you. Guy will take care of you all before I get back," Jade informed him.

"When will you be back?" Luke entered his room, but stayed facing Jade.

"Sometime in the afternoon, depending on when we head back from here." With a final nod, he said, "Have a good sleep anyway."

Luke nodded too and closed the door as the man walked off. With a sigh, he lied in his bed and shut off the light. Closing his eyes, he thought he felt something he hadn't felt all his life. He thought it was trust, or security, or maybe just simple bliss, but none of those words seemed to fit.

When he finally thought of the right word, he smiled to himself and fell deep into sleep.

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A/N: Anybody know what it is:D Review please.


	11. Chapter 10 : Discoveries

_Chapter Ten - Discoveries_

Last update: 12 days ago. Not too shabby.

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The building was dark on the outside, so the inside must've been atramentous. A hazy sense of grim terror hid in the shadows of the surrounding willow trees. It was an old, dilapidated construction in need of serious renovation, and the whole thing seemed to sway in the wind that barely made the willows whisper.

The colonel approached with great caution, for the sinister building could make the bravest of men run. It howled in anguish as another gale brewed, and Jade pulled his coat tighter. He stepped up to a window, opaque with dust, dirt, and grime. Bugs scattered along the windowsill, chipped with dry paint the color of dead flowers. The whole house was dead though; what more could he expect?

Clutching the rusty doorknob, he found that it was locked. He tried in vain to open it without causing damage, but gave up his useless struggle soon. Seeing that the wood was so thoroughly rotted, he kicked the door down easily, every hinge snapping.

Jade only needed to glance around once to find that the place was entirely deserted. Every room, abandoned. Every piece of furniture, neglected. The whole house was inactive with only a layer of dust to keep it from absolutely bare. It only took him a short tour of the forsaken structure to find the lab room, where the machinery was located.

The walls again moaned around him, shifting in misery. He touched one of the several mechanisms that filled the room. Gray dust smothered the surface, each device equally wan. Giving a disappointed sigh, he weaved between the machines so vapid, they nearly blended with the concrete floor.

Finally, Jade found what he was looking for. A machine that had recently been put to use. It was no doubt prodigious in size, and it was noticably less dull. Spots where there was no dust made it easy to distinguish that someone had been here, pressing buttons, making replicas.

Yes, it was exactly what the Kimlascan soldiers predicted. This facility had recently been used to create more replicas.

Suddenly, the place leapt to life as an enormous liger jumped from a higher up ledge. It landed heavily in front of Jade, trapping him in the maze of equipment. It was amazing that the whole building didn't collaspe with the presence of the liger. It only had a chance to bare its formidible teeth before Jade started running.

_A liger, I thought they only lived in the woods. Why is there one in this old, empty building? _Of course, the liger chased him a good distance until he took a sharp turn into a hidden room. _It's almost as if it were guarding something._

The animal paced back and forth outside the room, which Jade began feeling the walls of. It was small, crowded, a bit like a closet. Its back wall, however, led deep into the heart of the mansion, so Jade continued.

The clandestine room led him outside, where, having the best of luck, it was beginning to rain again. Jade had a long way back to the castle, so, cursing under his breath, he started for a different location.

--------

Tear watched the rain slide down the castle window. The windows were not usually present, but thanks to some advanced technology, they automatically appeared for when it precipitated. Whoever set up the equipment wouldn't want it getting wet.

The melancholy chorus of rainfall echoed through the basement, where Luke, Anise, Guy, and Tear lounged. With Anise's yawn as a trigger, Tear jumped and stood suddenly. "Oh, Anise. I need to do a little more healing on that wound of yours, just to make sure." She paced to Anise's side, light cocoa hair streaming behind her subtley.

"Do you _have_ to?" Anise whined, slumping her shoulders. Tear knelt beside the girl, and placed her staff on Anise's chest.

After a brief silence, she called, "First Aid!" A pale-clover green appeared and waned out again, white sparkles of restoration still residing. Luke and Guy watched Tear intently as Anise grew sleepier. The woman put her staff on the floor and pulled a blanket over the girl while she dozed off. "She really is a true soldier..." she mumbled to herself.

Luke nodded. "I guess you are, too." Shifting slightly, he continued. "Don't you do anything else? Master Van fights, teaches me, and works as Commandant for the Order of Lorelei. I thought you were his sister." Tear flinched at the words as Guy glared at Luke scoldingly.

"Luke! That's no way to talk to someone you don't even know! Just because Van does all that stuff doesn't mean Tear has to be perfect, too!" Luke shrugged with a frown, and Guy softened a little. "Sorry about that, Tear."

"It's alright. My brother is very talented." She rose from the floor, dusting herself off calmly. "But I am a melodist like him, and I learned a few hymns that he used to sing me." Luke was suddenly very interested.

"You're a melodist like him?! That's awesome!" He took a seat next to Anise on the sofa, marveling at Tear's claim. "Sing us something!"

"Luke..." Guy warned.

"It's alright. I will." She picked up her staff again and closed her clouded eyes. A bright aqua glyph appeared on the floor under her and she bowed her head in concentration, also beginning to levitate. Guy and Luke watched with anticipation, and finally her lips parted.

"_Tue nei zwue kuroa tue zwue..." _Powerful notes quivered through the empty walls with the melodist's voice, and a purple fog appeared right in front of the audience. Bubbles were emitted from the pool of darkness and Anise fell so deep into sleep she didn't even snore. Luke and Guy felt faintly sleepy too.

_"Kuroa ou zwue tue yu neu meir yu zwue..."_ This time, a curved wall of hexagonal prisms surrounded them all, a radiant blue half-orb. With a faint _ding_, it began to recede. Tear landed on the floor again and opened her eyes slowly, placing her staff at her side. "That's all I know," she said quietly.

"Such a sad sound," Guy said, looking at the floor. "Is it part of a song?"

"Yes, my ancestors are those of Yulia," Tear informed, catching their attention. "Those are her hymns; there are seven of them, and they all link together to form the Grand Fonic Hymn."

Of course, this was all going way too fast for Luke. "Wait, slow down. Yulia? Grand Fonic Hymn? What are you talking about?"

Guy said, "I'm sure you've heard of Yulia, and 'Grand Fonic Hymn' is just the name of a song that she knew." Tear nodded. "So you only know two of the pieces?"

"Yes, the only two I know are very basic and generally simple." She smiled weakly, shrugging. "Van knows all the hymns, and though he tried to teach me, it was complicated to learn." After another pause, she continued, "Anyway, I am a true descendant of Yulia, I believe. And as Jade predicted, I use the Seventh Fonon in my powers." She sighed.

"Hm, I guess there's a lot about you that I don't know." Luke stood and yawned, probably side-effects from Tear's first hymn. "Still, that was a really cool song you sang us. I hope you learn more of them."

"So do I." Tear turned again to the water-stained window as Luke began to walk off. "They remind me of..." She gently touched her forehead to the icy panel of glass. "Van..."

---------

Rain slid down Jade's face as he pressed through the mist of the drizzle. He could barely see his destined refuge through the fog on his glasses, and he ran up the hill to the isolated building. He knocked loudly for a moment as the rain picked up. When no reply came, he pounded on the wooden door fiercely, the freezing rain chilling him numb. "I know you're in here!" he shouted.

Lights illuminated the windows as someone entered the room, and the door was opened to reveal Dist. "What do you want?" he asked with a look of scorn.

"I need to talk to you about a situation that involves a certain _replication facility,_" Jade snapped gravely. Dist looked surprised, but stepped aside anyway and welcomed Jade inside.

The house was far from commodious, clutter in the first room. But Dist led him downstairs, where they ended up, of course, in a lab. Dist had been in the middle of some work, which he threw a black sheet over to hide from unwanted eyes. "Well?"

Jade wrung out his hair, splashing the excess onto the floor carelessly. "Well what? I'm sure you know about the facility near St. Binah?" Dist nodded discreetly. "Were you there?"

"No."

"Who was?"

"Van." Dist took a seat in his mobile chair, watching Jade's astonishment with silent eyes.

"And the liger?"

"That's Arietta's doing. A girl who works for Van." Dist glared a Jade's prying.

"So Van was there..."

"Don't ask me what he was doing there, because I don't know."

"What was he doing there?" Jade demanded, ignoring the request. "And don't try to prevaricate, I know you know!"

Dist closed his eyes and rested his chin on his bridge of interlaced fingers. "What do you think he was doing?" he asked quietly, surprisingly in control.

Jade bit his lip and his fists clenched involuntarily. "Making..." He stopped, unable to finish his sentence. The regret and remorse he'd felt when he replicated Luke pulled at him again. The words he'd heard in his head that night were mocking him now.

"Replicas. That's correct." Dist's eyes flashed open and narrowed at Jade. "Van is determined to overturn the Score. He is set on that plan, and nothing can stop him." He raised his head and folded his arms, leaning back. "He believes a life controlled by the planet's memory is not a life at all. It is a start-to-finish collection of years set to do what you are told."

Jade shook his head. "But why replicas? Why does he choose to do something so cruel?"

"He wants to replace the original world, because every human is shackled to the score. By creating a new race, he will give everyone their own life of choices."

"But why does he want to get rid of so many people? A lot of them are fine the way they are and...why is the Score any of his concern?!" Jade sighed and stared at his feet. "I just don't understand why he would want to replace people. They are who they are, regardless of their beliefs or what happens to them." There was a pause, and Dist laughed shortly.

"Is that what you thought about the Professor?" Jade flinched, but didn't move his gaze. "That's why you created fomicry. You wanted to replace her because of your actions. You didn't care that you were interfering with life's natural course! You just wanted things to be right again!" Dist rose from his chair and leered at Jade with vehement animosity. "You changed everything because of your own selfishness!"

"I..." Jade shifted and looked up, into the face of his angered friend. Tears stung his eyes as he struggled to control them. Dist was exactly right; how could he accuse Van of something he once felt?

"You wanted her to be alive again because you didn't like the way things were going, with her dead. Van wants everyone to see with their own eyes, because he doesn't want the people of this world to be blinded by a written future!" Dist's voice echoed through the lab. "The Professor meant so much to you, and me. Did you ever think what you were doing was cruel?"

"That was...different," Jade tried, but he lacked support.

"It was no different. You killed her." Jade gritted his teeth as Dist's words pierced him. "She died, but you couldn't let that be. You had to change it." Walking through the room, Dist continued. "Van and you are both idealists. But right now," he stopped, turning slowly to Jade. "Let Van do what he wants. Let him take away the lives of originals, because frankly, that's what you did to her."

"Dist," Jade's voice trembled, "I just wanted her back with us. I didn't want fomicry to be used as a weapon to humans. I just wanted to undo my actions. But you're right." Dist raised an eyebrow. "I was a fool, and I can't blame Van." He started for the door.

"Jade, wait!"

"If Van wants to make the changes I tried to, then he can try. I didn't succeed, so he might not either." Jade grabbed the doorknob. "He can do this, but I won't give up without a fight. Tell him I said good luck with his world."

Dist shifted his weight to the other foot, guilty that he'd hurt Jade's feelings. "I didn't mean to..."

"And tell him I said..." Wrenching the door open, Jade thought again of the Professor. He closed his eyes, pushing his tears to the floor. "I'm sorry."

---------

The castle howled with the outside wind, rain sloshing down the windows. Luke wandered the upstairs halls, almost completely lost. Greenish-gray walls stared at him with shadowy intensity.

Taking another corner, he thought he heard footsteps. He withdrew into a room and hid for a moment, but no one came. "Probably just the wind," he said to himself. _Either that or I'm paranoid._ He continued down the hall silently, his footfalls masked by the heavy carpet of the dullest lavender.

Trailing his fingers along the walls, he stopped to look at a picture. It was a painting of one of the ancestors of the household. Staring deep into the china blue eyes of the man, a ghostly wind blew, sending shivers down Luke's spine. He turned quickly, looking around with alertness. "Man, this place is creepy."

Room after room, hall after hall, he was right back where he started. Guy waved him over. "How was your tour?"

"No kidding, I must've gone around this place three times," he groaned, looking at the expansive ceiling. "What a drab place. I can't imagine it being a vacation home."

"It used to be nice," Guy said, taking a look around also. "But now it's looking pretty shoddy."

"I'm surprised it doesn't just fall down with the storm." Luke turned to the sofa, where Anise was still sound asleep. Tear was in the so-called kitchen, making herself a meal. "If Jade doesn't get back soon, I'm going to go insane."

Guy smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Walk around one more time. It'll do you some good." While he left, Luke rolled his eyes.

Starting down the first hall, Luke ran his fingers along the same brick wall. "Yeah, nothing like a change of scenery," he mumbled sarcastically. "Jade, hurry up and come back."

A mouse scurried across the bland carpet swiftly, squeaking as it dashed below a closed door. Luke followed it and approached the door. It was old, like the rest of the building, and unopened, the hinges rusty. "Don't think I've been here before.

However, the door opened easily, unlocked, with only a faint growling protest. "Piece of cake."

He looked for a light, but only found a candle, with a box of matches next to it. He struck one and lit the wick, then shook the match out. The crude lighting gave him a very indistinct look at what appeared to be a hallway, and very closed in walls. Carefully, he walked down the hall. It had several tortuous turns and corners, but was still a one-way path.

It seemed to be about five minutes before the came to another door, which he opened without thinking about it. Unlocked.

This room not only had a window, but a fonon lamp on a desk. He blew out the candle and set it aside, then went to the desk and the lamp came on automatically.

The desk was recently used, and the first thing he saw was his diary. He picked it up, but clumsily knocked a pile of other papers off of it. "Dammit," he cursed, having already hoped his presence would go undetected. Shuffling through the papers as he restacked them, he unknowingly started reading them. Confusing words he didn't understand were on them, all printed off a computer.

"This must be Jade's desk," Luke said, opening a drawer. He closed it, still unable to comprehend the content. He almost finished restacking the pile, but not before he saw a certain page catch his eye. Humming to himself in thought, he picked it up.

"_LUKE FON FABRE: Replica status: Minor genetic mutation detections and little to no behavioral instances of evidence."_ Luke grimaced at the blood photos that were printed onto the paper. Again, Luke I and Luke II. There was no difference. "Replica?" he said to himself.

"_FABRE, LUKE 'REPLICA' **born**: Lorelei-Decan 18 ND 2011 in Choral Castle."_ Luke reached up and checked his diary to the first entry, the day he arrived at the manor as a child. The date read the same as on the sheet, ND 2011. "Born...six years ago? That's when I recovered from my amnesia."

"_LUKE FON FABRE II, REPLICA OF LUKE FON FABRE I, A.K.A. ASCH FON FABRE. WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN._" "_LUKE II adopted by Jade Curtiss Rem-Decan 21 ND 2017." _Luke furrowed his brow. "Jade? Adopted a replica...that was..." He got up and grabbed his diary again, checking the date of his latest entry. Reading the date, he felt his heart drop and he gasped. "Rem-Decan 21, ND 2017."

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A/N: I made up Tear's lyrics, so sorry if they messed you up. And omg cliffie! Review please!


	12. Chapter 11 : Bonds

_Chapter Eleven - Bonds_

A/N: Thank you, one and all. And now, for a filler chapter. I know, I love you too.

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Luke was kneeling on the floor behind Jade's desk, papers in disarray on the floor and in his shaking hands.

"_Replica to undergo genetic testing due to detected genetic error._" The gears were churning in Luke's mind as he frantically sifted through the documents. _"Replica Luke II to carry out orders of Vandesdelca Musto Fende in Akze..." _Luke shook his head in disbelief. "No...Master Van..."

"_LUKE FON FABRE **REPLICA**: RESIDENCE OF CHORAL CASTLE. ASCH (ORIGINAL LUKE) UNKNOWN RESIDENCE. SIMULATION OF ORIGINAL..." _Luke gasped and felt something in his chest tighten. "S-simulation? Am I not..."

A door outside the study slammed, but Luke paid it no mind and persisted the discovery. "'_Facsimile thought to have no rational though', hypothesized by Fende, argued by Curtiss." _Tossing that paper aside and moving to the next, Luke said, "Jade...you believe in me, don't you?"

"_The reproduction LUKE (fake) completed by Fende, theory thought up by Professor Balfour in ND..." _Luke finally snapped and felt his face grow hot with anger, his throat constricting. "Am I not real?" The wind outside picked up speed. "Jade...how long have you been lying to me...?" Luke collected the papers and stacked them on the desk, wobbling with lack of balance having risen from being down so long.

He stooped down to get a lone paper he forgot, unable to resist reading it. "_Luke REPLICA known to be first successful **copy**-" _

"Just what do you think you're doing?" A familiar yet eerie voice chided. The rain-soaked Jade stood impatiently, arms folded. "How did you get in here?" he asked with mild reproach.

Luke whirled around and hid the paper behind his back, smiling nervously. "Oh, you know...door...hallway..." Luke glanced around in panic.

"Ah, I see, so you took the hidden passageway..." Jade murmured to himself. He slipped his drenched bangs out of his framed eyes, seeing the items Luke had been tampering with earlier were not in their original places. "Well, this is off-limits, so allow me to escort you out."

Luke dropped the paper, which thankfully slided to the floor without a sound, and walked to Jade, who opened another door. This one led to the main room, where Guy was already waiting for him. That door was no doubt the original way to enter the office, but now that Luke knew, it would be locked every minute.

Holding Luke outside of the room by the arms, Jade said, "Don't let me catch you in here again."

Luke nodded quietly, not taking his eyes off Jade's serious ones. _Jade, please...tell me it's not true. I can't be a replica..._

Without another word, Jade released him and went back into the study. Luke walked back to Guy and sat down. "You okay?" Guy asked immediately, seeing that it looked as if Luke had gotten in trouble. Plus he looked pretty down.

"I...I'm fine..." Luke managed, smiling emptily. Guy jumped up from his seat and stretched.

"Good! Because once Jade is ready, we're going to go out for some more practices." Smiling happily, he said, "The rain should be cleared up by then, and some fresh air would help us all."

"Fresh air?" Anise walked into the room curiously. "You all are going outside?"

"We're gonna go kill monsters and stuff, which isn't exactly for little girls." Guy shrugged. "Sorry!"

"Booo! I wanna go!" Anise whined, pouting her lips into a frown.

"I think I could be of use as well," Tear said, entering the room.

Guy backed up as the two approached him, and Luke stood also. "You know, this really should be left to the men of the house," he said.

"Tear and I are Oracle soldiers! We can probably handle the enemies better than you can!" Anise grinned, folding her arms self-importantly. "So whaddya say to that?"

Tear smiled at the exuberant girl and clasped her hands together in front of her. "I think we'd better wait to see what Jade has to say."

Meanwhile, Jade took a seat in his office chair and sighed, rubbing his temples in exhaustion. "I shouldn't have even gone to see Dist to begin with." He picked up the diary and unfiled papers, putting them in the top drawer. "This room is a mess," he commented, swiveling his chair around to pick up a lost piece of paper. "Hm?"

Bringing it closer to the fonon lamp's light, he read, "Luke, replica, known to be first successful copy of Duke Fabre's son, carried out by Vandesdelca..." Jade adjusted his glasses and supressed a second sigh. "Just what I need as soon as I get back here."

Standing, he held the paper with disgust and ripped it in two, then four, shredding it. The word "replica" stared back at him with an honest spite that made him ache. He held a section of it, letting the rest scatter to the floor. He dropped the final piece, watching the word tumble to the floor.

"Jade, you ready to go?!" Guy hollered from the other side of the wall. Concentration interrupted, Jade looked at the door.

"I'll be ready in a moment, just let me change." Taking a door that led to his bedroom, Jade changed out of his wet clothes and into dry ones. "I guess I said we'd be practicing today," he said to his mirror reflection, strapping on his spare gloves.

Guy, Luke, Anise and Tear were already prepared as Jade stepped out of his room. "Alright, let's get going," he said simply.

"Hear that, Guy?" Anise chirped. "I think that's a _yes_."

"You're seriously letting these girls come with us?" Luke asked incredulously, jerking a thumb at the two.

"I don't see why not," Jade replied, his ever-present smile returning. "After all, they're a part of this cohort, too." Anise grinned in delight, and Tear bowed her thanks. Before long, they were on the trail outside.

But they strayed off it to go into the forest. "There will be some different enemies in here, which you all should be able to identify," Jade explained calmly. Clouds began to part and the sun was shining again, birds picking up their song. "Looks like the storm's over."

"For now, at least," Guy pointed out. "The clouds move pretty fast out here on the plains."

A few minutes later, Tear looked at the dirt beneath her feet. "It's a little strange that we're coming out here just to kill monsters."

"Maybe we should have a picnic then!" Anise chimed in. "You always have food on you, so when we get somewhere nice, let's stop and take a break."

"That's a great idea, Anise," Tear replied, hoping the guys had heard. They had, and none of them were very fond of the idea. Clearly, they just wanted to kill stuff. As a soldier though, Tear didn't mind the death or killings. She drew her staff and shifted her vision from side to side. "Something's here."

Jade was already alert, and Guy had his sword out. Anise looked at Luke, who was ignoring their stances. A black blur swayed behind him, in the trees. "Luke, you might wanna-"

"Watch out!" Tear called, seeing the creature just in time. Luke ducked instinctively and Tear jumped high into the air. "Severed Fate!" Three daggers were pinned into the ground, creating a triangle of light. The black blur jerked at the pain, yelping. It was a large wolf with yellow eyes and dangerous sharp teeth. Two or three more were in a pack behind it.

"Be more careful next time," Jade said, lifting Luke to his feet.

"Right, sorry." Luke tried to mask the edge in his voice, but Jade only rolled his eyes.

"One day, that attitude of yours will get you into trouble." Jade's spear materialized and he guarded against a wolf, while Anise, Guy, and Tear held off the rest. Luke watched.

"What 'attitude'?" He said, putting his hands on his hips. "You're the one always cracking insulting jokes at people."

Jade laughed curtly. "Yes, that may be. But..." He released his guard on the wolf, and side-stepped, letting it lunge for Luke. Luke collapsed under its weight and wrestled it off of him, then clumsily drew his sword and stabbed it. It only cried and jumped back, hardly injured. "I wouldn't make jokes if you weren't always so funny."

"Th-there's nothing funny about that!" Luke objected. He stumbled to his feet, not yet prepared for the next assault of the wolf. Jumping aside, Luke ran a good distance from the enemy. "Don't just stand there, help me!"

"I'm already a good enough fighter. You're the one who needs work. And besides," Jade said loudly over the clamor of the fight. "It's amusing to see you fight for yourself."

"Amusing?! You're awfully honest about those kinds of things." Luke cut a few slashes at the wolf, finally bringing it down. "Heh, how'd you like that?"

"Pretty good," said Guy from his seat on the forest floor.

"But we've been done for almost a minute, waiting on you." Anise shrugged and flopped down on her back. "To think that the Commandant trained _you_."

Luke slammed his sword back in the sheath and stomped toward Anise. "Shut up, at least I killed it." They all sighed.

---------

"This looks like a nice place for a break," Tear commented. Through the field of apple-green grasses and pink flowers, a small bubbling brook ran over shaded gray stones. Clear aquamarine waters showed a rippling reflection of the tired woman as she seated herself along the stream's edge. "I'll get started on our food."

Luke sat too and plucked a blade of grass from the ground. "Pretty nice weather, considering it was raining earlier today."

Guy nodded. "Yep, like I said, the weather can be awfully volatile around these areas." He squinted up at the afternoon sun. "It's still a great day for a picnic."

"Yeah, I used to go on them all the time with my mama and papa," Anise said memorably. "That is, before they went into debt."

Tear soon finished the food of sandwiches, salads, and rice balls, and they were all eating, enjoying the outside breeze. Luke looked in the distance while the other four chatted. Thinking back to the files he discovered, he found himself asking questions.

_So the files said a Luke replica was born the day Jade took me back to my manor, in ND 2011. That was the day I was thought to have amnesia, and started my life over as a duke's son. And Jade did tell me once that this whole concept was like me being just born. So does that mean I'm a replica? I wrote my first entry the day of my return, which was exactly the same as the file papers showed._

_And then it said Jade adopted this same replica the day he came to the manor to take me to the castle. I was writing my last entry that day, the date again being exactly the same as the date on the paper. So I guess that means I must be the "simulation" they were talking about, or why else would they have those files in the castle? And what's Asch have to do with any of it? His name kept coming up, saying he was a.k.a. Luke I. Does that mean I'm a replica of...?_

"Luke, get up!" Luke snapped out of his thoughts and stood, looking around. An ogre and a couple of smaller ones were standing before them. "Draw your sword," someone said, and Luke looked over to see Jade, who was concentrating on the enemy. Luke complied. "Now, I want to see you fight with what Guy and I have been teaching you. Otherwise we'll be doubling your practices."

"I-is that really necessary?" Luke asked.

Guy turned back to him as the ogre stepped nearer. "Of course it is, if you can't fight."

"Just do your best," Jade said, and with that, the fight began.

"Dragon Surge!" Anise cried, her old fighting spirit back. "Ever since I got injured, I've been dying to fight!" The tiny monster paled in comparison to Anise's own, Tokunaga. "Take this!" With a swing of the giant's arm, the ogre was flung back several yards, crashing into a tree and knocking it over. Anise grinned victoriously.

Guy swiftly swung at the enemy, but his sword strikes drew minimal damage. Anise, too, watched as her opponent rose from the fallen tree. "I think these things are invincible with that big one around." The swordsman guarded, the creature's club heavily shaped with volcanic rock. "Demon Fang!" The blade that ran across the ground cut the ogre's ankle, but he could almost see it heal up again. "It's no good."

"First Aid!" Tear jumped back after recovering, narrowly avoiding a hit. "Guard me while I'm casting," she reminded, to which the others nodded. "Banishing Sorrow!" The strength of the magic seared the brute's face, and it fell back a little. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Luke rolled out of the way as the leader's mace split the ground. The chain rattled as the spiked ball was withdrawn, dragging shards of earth back with it. "There's no way to get to this thing!" The speed of the ogre caught him by surprise, and the mace knocked Luke's guarding sword from his hand. "Dammit!"

It landed quite a ways off, and Guy saw this. Luke tried to create distance from the enemy, but he knew the mace could cover any range. Glancing away for even a moment to find his sword, the shadows shifted. "Look out!" Guy warned, but Luke didn't have enough time, and the mace was raised.

"Splash!" The ogre bellowed in pain as the arte rained down on it, the torrent tearing the flesh off its shoulders and back. Blood slipped to the dirt as Luke looked behind him, suprised to be alive. Jade gave him a look of both relief and irritation as he recovered from the spell.

"Luke, catch!" A sword twirled toward him, and Luke caught it instinctively. Guy smiled thankfully before returning to his fight, and Luke could hear a spell being summoned.

"Healing Circle!" It never occured to Luke how much he'd been getting hit until he looked at his shoes, stained with his blood. The aquamarine circle lifted the pain, however, and he was soon restored.

"Everyone..." Luke examined the sword in his hand, then glared back at the monster. Jumping aside, he looked at the monster's shoulders, where the wounds were sizzling with torment. "And water caused that...?" Nearly tripping over the fissure from earlier, Luke got Tear's attention. "I need help. Its weakness is water." Jade heard this also, and they both nodded.

"Invoke Aqua!" A gray ring appeared, tinted the blandest of blue.

"Blessed Drops!" A pool appeared in the ring, and though the monster jumped out before the spell could effect it, the Field was activated. The mace spun, gaining speed.

"Oh no you don't," Luke growled with anger, his feet grinding the dirt with anxiety and anticipation. The mace was hurled downward, and Luke jumped back just in time, showered by pellets of rock and hardened dirt. The mace was stuck, just as planned, and Luke leapt carefully onto the ball, pushing off. He ran up the chain before the beast could react, and finally, impeled his sword through the wretched face of the enemy, sinking it deep.

It cried in anguish and raised its gnarled hands to its face, thick blood gushing from the wound. Landing in the obsolescent blue ring, Luke pulled his fist back and targeted. The dazed pain the sword caused for the ogre, and the raised arms, gave Luke a clear shot of the creature's heart. "Frigid Blast!"

An intricate array of icicles speared forth from Luke's fist, and into the exposed front of the monster.

An explosion of ice ripped the flesh from the monster, but it still lived. The sword was clawed from the eyesight of the ogre, and Luke caught it, flinging the blood off. It howled in suffering and fell to its knees, ripping its legs on the crevices. It fiercly swung a fingernail at Luke, grazing his arm and drawing some blood. "Bastard," Luke whispered, falling to his own knees in equal exhaustion.

"Luke!" He heard Tear's voice, and looked up agin, the enemy going in for a punch. Luke braced himself, but no pain came, only a squeal of hurt from the other. A navy blue spear was driven through its neck, severing the carotid artery. Luke clutched his sword and rose.

"Sonic Thrust!" Chrome met ochre has he plunged his steel into the heart of the ogre. It froze up, fell, and died without so much as a final cry. The spear vanished with a gold flash, and soon, the monster did to. Its underlings fled, unable to survive without their leader. All was silent for a while.

Then, Anise giggled cheerily. "Wow, Luke! That was amazing!!" Tokunaga shrank as she embraced the redhead lovingly. "You were so cool!"

"Heh, that was...pretty intense." Luke sighed and ruffled the girl's hair as the other three approached. "Well?" he asked, immediately turning to Jade.

The colonel closed his eyes and removed his glasses, his other hand in his coat pocket. "You weren't bad, but don't celebrate so soon. You still have some work to do." Luke just narrowed his eyes and hissed something under his breath.

"Jade's just being negative; I think you did fine." Guy patted his friend on the back with reassurance.

"I agree that you need some work," Tear said coldly, but she couldn't help but smile.

With Anise still latched to his waist, Luke pulled Tear closer and wrapped an arm over Guy's shoulder. He looked from person to person, and finally at Jade. "Thanks, everybody," he said with solid confidence.

Jade raised an eyebrow. "Like I said, don't get too excited about your victory. That took longer than I would've liked." Walking off, the man didn't even look back. "Now let's get back to the castle before we run into anything else. Surely other monsters will smell the blood."

In panic, Luke ran to catch up, and the other three exchanged glances. Smiling at each other, they knew they were going to have a long stay ahead of them.

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This is an important element of Luke's training. It mostly just shows he was getting better; that was a major improvement for him. Well, since that was such filler, I'll have the next chapter up sometime this week. Sorry to kill the drama, but there'll be plenty later! Review please!


	13. Chapter 12 : Changes

_Chapter Twelve - Changes_

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Something rustled in the bushes beside the trail, and Luke turned sharply. Tear gave him a curious look. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Luke shook his head to rid himself of the paranoia. Leaves swished in the gentle wind, their clover green hue illuminated by the sunlight. A small decline in the sun signaled afternoon, and only the breeze kept the path from hot. "I just feel like we're being followed." Jade looked over his shoulder at Luke's words, then shrugged.

"Perhaps we are," he said simply. A dusty gold dragonfly landed on his shoulder, but he ignored it. Looking around, he continued, "But we'll be home in a matter of minutes."

Sadly, that matter of minutes wasn't enough, and a few ligers were soon in their path. They were clearly hungry, and wouldn't have attacked otherwise. Barring their fierce fangs and growling, they swept the trail dirt up with their angry tails. "Not again!" Luke groaned, wrapping his fingers around his sword hilt grudgingly.

"This'll only take a minute," Tear said, readying her weapon. "After all, Luke. You did need some extra practice."

"I think I got enough work from that last fight." Nevertheless, he drew his sword, pointing it at one of the ligers. "You asked for it!"

The fight wouldn't have lasted long, but Anise got overconfident. "Why aren't you using Tokunaga?" Jade asked, opening one eye from his casting state to glance at her. She only grinned, twirling her wand in rhythm. "I can't afford to keep you covered."

"It's okay, Colonel. I'll be fine! Bloody Howling!" A voracious pink tornado enveloped one well-built liger within its grasp, proving its name as it howled with strength. "See?" She glanced at him for approval and praise, but he only sighed. The liger stumbled at the attack, then made a lunge for the recovering soldier.

She only yelped as it impaled its ivory teeth into her arm. Anise tried to shake it off, but it was insistent, and Jade was preoccupied. "Grr, I hate ligers," she sneered, glaring at it viciously as she pulled her arm harder. It pulled harder in return, however.

Tear paused her spell to look over, then gasped. "Anise, hang on!" She closed her eyes and let the glyphs inscribe themselves into the ground as she casted.

Anise, too, gasped at the sight of her blood, feeling herself pale. "Crap, why am I always the one who gets hurt?" She fell to the ground on her hind, smearing blood with her hand on the pathway dust and cutting herself by accident. It stung with warning infection. With more force, the ligers teeth clenched and the girl's blood scattered. She cried out again, feeling her head grow dizzy, her vision blurring.

But the pain was soon lifted, and the liger whined in frustration. Guy turned to the commotion just in time to see Jade ragefully shovel the enemy into the air, then drive his spear through it.

"Goring Hell!" The liger was met by a startling explosion of scarlet, orange, and vermeil, amber streaks soaring from the center. A thunderous detonation rendered the liger moribund, as it fell to pieces around the killer. Waves of flame and heat stretched from the attack, and the other ligers fell back into retreat.

As the tension settled, a peaceful, oblivious wind stole away the remains of the liger. Blood stayed, however, stained on the path. It left wine red traces all along the rocks and dirt, everywhere. The liger didn't have a second to reconsider, for it had been killed instantly, gruesomely, ruthlessly.

"Are you alright, Anise?" Jade and Tear approached the little girl, who replied with an unenthusiastic "yeah". The three soldiers reacted to the killing so casually, as if it happened everyday. For them, though, it most likely did. They didn't look twice. Luke was terrified of the death, and Guy ran his finger along a line of blood.

The sticky substance spread between his fingers and he looked up at Jade. Though the man was tending Anise's wound with Tear, his eyes were still afire with fury. Guy wiped the blood away, his eyes not leaving Jade until he looked back at him. His expression was merciless, and Guy had never seen a more brutal death.

Looking away and toward the sky, Guy knew in his mind that Jade was indeed the _Necromancer _he had predicted him to be.

"Shall we be going?" Jade remarked a little too insouciantly for Guy to be comfortable. Still, Anise sprang to her feet and Tear nodded. Luke shrugged, and they were soon on their way. Guy felt something in the pit of his stomach, a feeling of fear, apprehension, and helplessness. And yet at the same time, a feeling of duty.

As they walked, a few made simple conversation. Guy looked from Jade to Luke and closed his eyes, letting the mental picture unfold.

--------

The castle loomed into view over the skyline as thunder roared in the distance threateningly. Guy looked to the clouds as Jade unlocked the door. "Yeah, I guess I was right. The wind we were feeling earlier pushed all those clouds over to us."

Tear looked up too and sighed. "Well, I'm glad we got our picnic in when we did."

"Nothing wrong with a little rain." Luke closed the door behind them all, and they were met again with the empty, vapid silence of the castle.

Anise, Guy, and Tear all left the main room for their reasons, and Luke was left with Jade. They exchanged glances, and Jade went over to his desk. "Well if you don't mind," Jade started, stacking papers in his ritualistic way, "I'd like to run another test on you to see how everything is."

Luke shrugged, averting his gaze. "Sounds good." Inside though, he was deep in thought. _I guess he still thinks I don't know what this is all about. The blood tests must be checking on the genetic mutation in the papers. _He frowned unconsciously, and Jade gave him a tilted look.

"Something the matter?" Jade stood by an apparatus and pressed a few buttons, keeping his eyes on Luke as the boy sat down.

"No, nothing," Luke replied cheerfully, faking a smile. "Everything's fine." _Let's get this over with._

"If you say so." Jade gently pressed a needle into Luke's vein, which they were both so used to they didn't even say anything. Galvanic lights lit up, which was new to Luke, as the machine leapt to life. A blue light reflected from the screen onto Jade's frames as he narrowed his eyes in concentration. After about ten seconds, his fingers raced across the keyboard and the machine stopped.

Clacking one final key, Jade walked over and unhooked the needle. "That wasn't so bad," he said, more to himself than to Luke. The replica stood, and thought that after seeing those files, he might be able to better understand the experiments. So he followed Jade back to his desk.

As Jade sat down, rain began to fall. The automated castle windows simultaneously shifted, and closed with a muffled slam. Another object slammed a beat later, and the two looked at each other once more. "What was that?"

"Probably just a delayed window," Jade guessed with a shrug. Numbers and words of no meaning were on the computer screen, and Jade was scrolling through them quickly. Luke struggled in vain to comprehend them, but his attempt was interrupted by the shutting off of the screen. "Everything is fine," Jade told him.

Luke was apalled at Jade's ability to read all that information so quickly. However, he nodded and walked off. "Alright. I hope it doesn't get any worse," Luke said, but he never heard Jade's response as he wandered away.

He ended up by one of the rain-washed windows; streaks slid down the panel in silence. His sigh brought a foggy mist to the pane, clouding his view. _I hope those files were all just false reports from years ago or something. It's too hard to understand. _Luke slapped his palm lazily on the glass and bit his lip. _Files, replica, research, tests, Jade, everything. I'm just lost._

A strange presence in the room rose like smoke, but Luke ignored it, thinking it was just Jade moving about. He closed his eyes and teetered into the oblivion of sleep, but the presence was still there. His mind drifted back to the slam from earlier...

"Hand over those papers!" His mind shouted at him, but he didn't know why. The resonance of the voice told him that the speaker was inside the castle, not his head. The glide of a sword from its sheath was heard as Luke whirled around.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Jade said easily, staring with ice into Asch's eyes. Luke ran over to them, but the distance was farther than he thought. Jade's Malkuth spear flashed into his hands, and Asch tightened his grip on the sword. "These experiments are none of your concern."

_When did he get here?_ Luke thought, stopping a good distance from the two who looked as if they would start fighting at any second. The red of Asch's hair caused an imbalance between Jade's blue uniform, creating tension. So far, Luke's own presence was still ignored, or unknown.

"They are every bit of my concern as they are _his_!" Asch bit back, referring to Luke despite him being so close. "Now give them to me!" A blast of wind shot from Asch's sword, the horizontal slice forming an almost apparent streak. Jade was gone, but landed a few yards away a second later.

"Is it because you want to destory them? Or is Van having you come here to steal them?" Jade closed his eyes in preparation, but stopped at the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps.

"This isn't about Van!" The sword met Jade's spear with a dischord that rang through the ceilings.

"Then destroying those papers won't accomplish anything," Jade said, throwing Asch off balance. He twirled his spear above his head and struck Asch to the floor. "You're about one hundred years shy of defeating me."

Asch pressured his head with his hand and cursed. "Why...you..." Luke took a tentative step forward, but Asch heard it nonetheless. He turned and stood, grimacing in pain. "And it's your fault all this is happening to me," Asch said in a voice that may or may not have been intended for Luke to hear.

"What are you doing here?" Luke asked, clenching his fists with some form of anger. Asch scoffed, but he continued. "You can't just come barging in here demanding papers from us and trying to-"

"I can do whatever the hell I want, replica!" Asch snapped, slamming his sword to the stone ground for emphasis. Luke's eyes widened, and Jade took a step back. The truth was out, hanging in suspension, until Luke hung his head and laughed shortly.

"Yeah...I guess I am after all." He smiled despite his disesteem as a unfathomable wind stirred his red hair. "A replica...of you." Asch was surprised, but didn't let his guard down.

"Luke..." Jade touched the papers that scattered across his desk, looking at each and every chart he could see. All this information had been here, every test had been run. But just how long had he known this? Jade looked up and he could see Luke's insecurity start to overwhelm him. "I...should never have..."

Asch pointed his sword at Luke momentarily before sheating it again. "That's right. Accept it. You're nothing but an imitation of me, the _real_ Luke Fon Fabre." He turned away in revulsion and crossed his arms. "My whole existence..." The swordsman stopped there, walking briskly away, deeper into the castle. Luke and Jade stood in wonder.

---------

That evening as Luke was headed for his room, Jade stopped him. "What is it?"

The colonel had an apology on the tip of his tongue, but instead, he just asked, "How long had you known?"

Luke shrugged with an empty smile and guessed, "Not very long. This morning, when you found me in your office, I..."

"You were looking through the papers?" Jade gave Luke a look both harsh and just curious. After Luke nodded, he said, "I see. Well, I suppose I can't punish you for sneaking through my things. In a way, I shouldn't have kept this a secret from you." There was a small silence. "I just couldn't let you live knowing that you...weren't..." He struggled for words, but Luke only looked away.

"Real?"

"Right. ...Real." A distant clock ticked the minutes away. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you, and your family. Just please, try not to let it hurt you." Luke looked at Jade with disbelief and a twinge of pain shook his eyes. "You're still real to me."

Luke closed his eyes and tried to hold back tears. He couldn't show weakness when he didn't know what he was hurting about. So he just said, "Thanks."

---------

It was pouring outside that morning, so early the sun wasn't even up and it was still as dark as midnight. Asch was in the building, and probably didn't plan to leave until the rain was gone. The building was black and silent within, while sounds clashed outside the walls. Caliginous shadows crept across the walls.

Jade sat at his desk in the dim lamplight, listening to nature's storm through one of the makeshift windows. Wind howled, thunder clapped, and lightning danced in vivid rays through the glass. Pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, he let out a sigh and shoved more papers aside. "Even away from work, I still have so much to do."

Beneath the papers he'd moved was a small book. Jade picked it up carefully and stared at the blank cover. It was Luke's diary.

He was unable to sleep as things were, so he flipped to the first page and rested his head on his hand. _Lorelei-Decan 18 ND 2011. _Jade smiled wistfully already; that was the day Luke and he had met. _"Today, I went to the manor and saw my parents. I think they were my parents, I'd never seen them before. They told me I had a disease where I didn't have a memory of things that happened to me. They also told me I was kidnapped before. But oh well."_

Jade thought Luke's writing was typical for a ten-year old, but it was still surprising how much he had changed over six years. He would be seventeen (technically seven) in a couple of months. _"I was picked up by a nice man named Jade Curtiss. He guided me home and made things a lot less confusing! Even though he left, I am glad that I met him, and I really hope I will get to see him again." _Jade stopped reading and simply stared at the words.

So Luke, despite having forgotten him, really did appreciate him.

It was still hard to believe that Luke had found out he was Asch's replica. It must've been difficult for him to accept. After all, Asch was related to Lorelei, so he would have a lot of weight on his shoulders. Jade flipped through the pages absently, until a shadow appeared in the doorway to the side. They said something quietly, their silhouette standing sleepily in the doorway. Jade looked up and saw a length of red hair and shadowy green eyes in the haze of the room.

Impulsively, Jade closed the reminiscent diary and looked back down at his paper. "Hello, Asch," he said, his mind still on the relation of Lorelei. However, the figure step further into the light in puzzlement, and Jade gave another sigh. "I'm sorry, Luke. I thought you-"

"It's okay," the boy said with a sincere smile. "What are you doing in here in the middle of the night?"

"Just working. How about you?"

"I...couldn't sleep," Luke said almost childishly, looking away as another crack of lightning appeared. "The storm..."

"I see." Jade fingered the edge of the diary beneath the paper, but looking at Luke's dark eyes and titian, disheveled hair, he could only think of Asch. And when he mentally envisioned the original, he felt the strain of guilt and shame for having created Luke. Seeing him now, in the office, his heart ached with transgression, for this duplication...was a symbol of what he wanted to call failure.

"Jade?" Luke raised an eyebrow an the colonel's pained expression. "Are you alright?"

Jade looked up sharply, but then back down at his desk. "Luke, come here for a second," he said, pulling something from one of the drawers. Before Luke could move, Jade stood and approached him quickly.

Luke jumped at the sight of the scissors in Jade's hand. Turning, he tried to run just before Jade caught him by the hair. "J-Jade? Are you feeling okay?" He was pulled to his feet and the scissors hissed. "Jade?!"

"This will only take a second." Luke shut his eyes tightly, and the slightest whisper of a sound was heard. He suddenly felt light-headed, and Jade let him go. "There."

Luke turned and saw a pile on the floor, of long, loose scarlet fibers. His own hair. Immediately grabbing what was left, Luke looked up. "Wh-what did you do?" The feeling was strange; he'd had long hair forever.

"This way, I can tell you apart from Asch." Jade looked quite pleased, but a grave seriousness still resided in his frigid eyes. "Maybe both in appearance and personality."

After recovering from the trauma, Luke nodded. "I hate being compared to him. Someone I don't even know already set the base of my life." He dug his fingernails involuntarily into his palms. "So I feel like I have to measure up to him. To...be like him." He shook his head, the even fringe tracing the back of his neck. "I wish there was another way."

As the boy turned in frustrated hatred, Jade smiled and laughed curtly. Luke opened his eyes and gasped shortly when he felt hands comb through his hair gently. "So change."

"What?"

Jade shrugged and his hands glided to Luke's shoulders. "Change yourself. You don't have to be like him." Luke turned in utter confusion. "You are who you are. Don't let anyone tell you anything else."

Luke was undeniably caught be surprise. Jade was helping him for once, instead of reprimanding him for being a fool. He took Jade's hands in his own and smiled again. "I...I will. Thanks." After a second, Jade appeared lost in thought and Luke reached back up to his hair, fingering the edge gingerly. "I trust you. And I'll change..." His voice dropped to a whisper, as did his gaze. "For you." The two embraced each other, neither knowing why at first. It wasn't an empty hug though, it was honest.

Luke rested his chin on Jade's shoulder and breathed him in. Whether it was the moment, the embrace, the words exchanged, or the scent he took in, he knew at that moment that he was in love with Jade completely.

Jade was no longer thinking of Asch, or originals and replicas. He was thinking of Luke, a person, a true _someone_. He kissed Luke's cheek as softly as he had years ago, thinking of that moment when they had first met. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this," he whispered, looking down.

The rain had stopped.

--------

A/N: I went back and edited the first draft of this after posting it (stupid) and this is the corrected version. So those of you who have me or this story on alert probably got 2 notifications. Sorry for the inconvinience, and I hope you got this draft rather than the other, typo-filled one!


	14. Chapter 13 : Mirrors

_Chapter Thirteen - Mirrors_

--------

Time passed, be it weeks or only days, and words of encouragement from Guy, Jade, Tear, and Anise kept Luke's spirits up. It seemed Asch was gone, but his presence still resided. Another training session was going on outside the castle just after another test had been run.

Anise charged at Luke, who gracefully parried her attack at the same time as turning to strike the approaching Tear, who guarded. Guy threw his sword as a missle, but it was deflected, and Luke caught it by the hilt. He pointed each sword at the again advancing Tear and Anise, and left Guy defenseless. Jade crossed his arms from a distance. "Very good."

Luke noticed the alabaster swirl beneath his feet, and backflipped out of the way just in time. The turbulent breeze swept his newly cut hair, but he escaped unscathed. The battle was starting over with the lowering of Luke's defensive hold, and Anise began a spell as Jade watched on. Tear too casted, and Guy sat and watched without his sword.

"Eclair de Larmes." Luke evaded the first spell easily, only to see a large pink orb appear behind him. He ducked beneath Negative Gate and rolled out of the way, but he remained on the ground as Jade's spear point threatened his neck. The spells stopped and the breeze picked up the silence.

Jade adjusted his glasses, not moving. "What did I tell you about leaving openings?"

Luke sighed and threw his swords down. "That I should always watch where I'm going, avoid enemy traps, and be cautious of every side." Guy came and got his sword, helping Luke up, as Jade withdrew his own weapon.

"That's right. Good work today. All this may come in handy someday," Jade said, looking back at the castle. "As I told you last night, I'll be leaving for Grand Chokmah today. It will only take a few minutes." Guy started in suspicious silence and Luke nodded.

"Okay, we'll take care of this place while you're gone." Anise and Tear began going inside, so Luke followed. Guy, however, remained in careful watch. Jade started for the castle, but Guy stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder. He looked up with venom in his eyes.

"Just who are you?" Guy asked harshly, unable to hide the envy from his voice. Jade only shrugged him off and continued for the castle. He appeared evasive, so Guy knew something was going on. He followed him back inside and the heavy door slammed.

---------

Jade was gone, and evening was beginning to set in, along with some clouds. Anise stomped her foot angrily and huffed a short-tempered sigh. "I'm so sick of this on-and-off weather; why can't it make up its mind?"

Tear smiled at her knowingly and said, "It's just about spring time, Anise. It always rains at least once a week this time of year." As Anise continued her rampage, Tear looked up again. "Oh, Anise. You wouldn't mind going to get some food with me, would you?"

Surprisingly, Anise turned with a grin and replied, "Anything to get out of this place." The two were very soon on their way, no need of preparation.

A few minutes later, Guy grabbed his cloak and headed for the door, stopped by Luke. "Where are you going?"

"Just for a little walk." He smiled, and Luke fell for it, letting him go. He had the castle to himself.

Which, of course, was no real thrill. He wandered around as he had so many times before. He took the same dull carpeted path as he had the day he waited for Jade's return. He ran his fingertips along the brick walls again.

And again, he heard those strange footsteps.

Luke dove behind the wall extension and waited, hoping he was just hearing things like last time. They were heavy, yet hurried, and nearing him. He held his breath, waiting for them to disappear. But they only grew louder, and someone rushed past him. Unfortunately, they saw Luke and turned, drawing their sword. Eyes so much like his own pierced Luke's gaze and he looked away.

"I've found you," Asch said, recognizing him immediately. Luke didn't draw his sword, but stepped from the wall shadow and into the hallway. "What did you do to your hair?" Asch had to ask.

"Jade did it." Luke felt suddenly defensive. "It's my promise to change. To change from you, to someone else."

"You still don't understand, do you, replica?" Asch scoffed, slamming his sword back away. "Follow me." Luke's curiousity and drive to protect the castle enforced him to follow. They ended up downstairs, in a large room filled with books.

"The library?" Luke looked at the expansive selection, then back at Asch. Asch was far away though, picked up a navy book. They met again in the center of the room.

Asch held up the book with a burning glare. "This is a book that Jade Curtiss wrote. It explains everything." He tossed it in front of Luke on the floor. The boy picked it up carefully and flipped through the pages, but Asch explained anyway. "Replica, you took everything from me just by existing."

"What?"

"_Everything!_" Asch's words fell in line with what Luke read of Jade's writing. It was clear that Luke had become a replica of Asch and taken his place, as ordered by Vandesdelca. Just like in the files.

"I...I didn't mean to, I didn't have a choice." Luke looked up and set the book somewhere, but Asch's chagrin was far from removed.

"My family, my friends, my home, my _life._ It's all gone because some disgrace like you stepped into the picture." Asch and Luke simultaneously took a step back, near the rim of the outer circle on the tile of the library. "You _are_ me, and no promise or words can change that." Another step back, before they started walked cautiously along the circle, always directly across from each other. Their gazes never budged. "You aren't the real Luke, replica. I am. So give up."

"I don't understand. Just because I'm you doesn't mean we have to be exactly the same. I can make my own decisions. I can be someone else!" Luke felt an anger of his own rise, perhaps more proof that he was so similar to Asch. "Jade knows more about this than we do, and he said I can change." They swirled around the floor's eclipse rim as the heavy shale clouds swirled outside. Two disasters were brewing. "We don't have to be each other!"

"That's right we don't!" They stopped circling and Asch clenched his fists. "I refuse to be compared to someone like you, so we'll see just who the real _Luke_ is!"

"Asch." Luke's shoulders tensed and he leaned forward in preparation.

"You took my place as Luke Fon Fabre, and I was forced to change my name. I was forced to join Van, and now," he drew his sword. "I'm being forced to kill you."

---------

"Your Majesty, I apologize for my delayed return." Jade bowed deeply before Emperor Peony, taking in the sight of the ever-familiar blue tiles. "Things just kept coming up, and I couldn't refuse them."

"I'll tell you what you can't refuse!" Peony barked, rising from his throne. "Malkuth is at war, Jade, and you're one of our best soldiers! This is your duty, Jade Curtiss!" Jade rose and looked into Peony flaming blue eyes. "Malkuth needs you, the soldiers need you, _I_ need you! It's no fun with just Frings to boss around." At this comment, Frings gave him a look. "Jade, you were hired to do your job, but how can you when you don't even show up?!"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"No more excuses!" Peony felt a strange and uncomfortable distance from his friend, perhaps from not seeing him in so long. If Jade chose to overlook his Malkuth duties, he shouldn't be working for him. That was that. "I won't allow you to let Malkuth fall. This is your final warning, Curtiss."

Jade smiled at his friend's seriousness and nodded. "Thank you, Peony."

The emperor's eyes narrowed again. "That's _Emperor_ Peony to you."

Jade's smile faded and he hesitated before bowing again. Hurt, he turned from the throne and headed down the lengthly carpet.

Peony also frowed at his edginess, watching Jade walk off. Suddenly, something struck him; a horrid malaise in the pit of his stomach that Jade was in danger. Part of him didn't care, yet another part of him wanted to shout. "Jade, wait!"

But the immense doors slammed shut, resonating through the waterfall room.

Outside, Jade rushed from the palace and headed for his own office. The streets and avenues were empty, everyone away from the storm that was sure to hit at any given moment. In the central circle, he saw one figure standing alone, looking across the pools of cloudy water. Dark indigo clouds shifted above, and thunder growled.

The person's stance was nearly abject, but a determination hung within them. Before Jade could place an advising hand on their shoulder, they turned abtuptly.

"Guy?" Jade stepped back in alarm. "What are you doing here?"

Guy's features bore strong looks of antipathy, and he forcefully threw the cloak he'd worn his first day at the castle aside. Wind nor the storm seemed to chill Guy, who glared at Jade fiercely. "What's wrong?" Jade asked with concern.

"You are, Jade. Step aside." Guy moved quickly to Jade's right, and Jade sidestepped to keep himself eye-to-eye with the man. The swordsman's blade sang gracefully as he unsheathed it, polished silver glinting in the hazy light. "Let's settle this."

"What's going on? Guy, why do you draw your weapon?" Jade edged one of his feet back and titled his position, taking on a pose of self-defense. He couldn't tell what Guy was about to do, so he could only keep it simple. "Answer me."

"Who are you, Jade?" Guy returned, turning his head, but keeping his gaze steady. "Are you Colonel Jade Curtiss, Third Division Malkuth Imperial Forces? Are you Dr. Jade Balfour, creator of fomicry? Or are you simply known as 'Jade the Necromancer'?"

Jade closed his eyes and shrugged. "After a conspectus like that, I should be asking who _you_ are."

Guy smirked triumphanty. "So I was right."

"I can't deny it."

"Well then, Necromancer," Guy began, rolling his sword hilt through his fingers expertly, "I can't let you endanger Luke." Jade said nothing. "I've seen you out there during practices. You're a killer. I refuse to let Luke be brought up in such a way. And needless to say..." His eyes flashed and the twirling stopped. "I won't let you hurt him."

Jade took on his spell casting posture. "What brought on this motivation? I knew it was peculiar that you would come and supervise our experiments, but this must be different."

"I don't question your motives, don't question mine." Guy dodged a flaming nova of heat from Jade, then looked up with a cocky smile. "Don't play games with me, Curtiss. I'm already pissed off as things are."

"Then tell me." Jade looked up over his frames. "What's your relationship with Luke?" The first raindrop fell, followed shortly by a chorus of them.

Guy straightened, holding his sword out at Jade. "En garde." He closed his eyes with a confident smile. Jade's weapon appeared in his hand, and Guy raised his in front of his face. The rain streamed forcefully onto the oyster paths of Grand Chokmah. "It is my job as a servant and a friend to see that he doesn't get hurt." Clear azure eyes flew open, heated with devotion. "And I will fight to protect my master."

---------

There was a second's silence, soon interrupted by the clashing of two blades. They held them there for a moment, before pushing off, reflecting each other's moves. Luke bit his lip, looking at Asch. "Do we really have to fight?"

"Yes, we do! This is a fight to settle who we are!" Asch stabbed at him, but Luke narrowly dodged it. "Unless you want to give up and die!"

"No, of course not!" Luke rolled out of the way again, then cut a slash at Asch's boots. He jumped over it though and Luke rose quickly. "But can't you accept that we're different?"

"You're me! There's nothing else to accept!" He flipped into the air and brought his weapon down on the marble floor. "Slag Assault!" Luke jumped back from the primary attack, but was showered with bits of rock. Temporarily blinded, he looked for Asch, who had moved behind him. "Too slow!" A strike on his back drew blood, knocking Luke to his knees.

Asch smeared the crimson with his boot, hoisting his sword onto his shoulder. "Is that all you've got?"

"A...Asch," Luke tasted blood in his mouth as he turned. His vision was swimming and his back hurt badly. "Why do you have to-!" A sharp slap across the face brought him back to reality and he looked up at his enemy in confusion.

"Get up. I know Jade taught you better than this." Asch stepped back so Luke could stand.

_He's right. Jade taught me how to fight. So why can't I use it on him?_ The replica gripped his sword and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm rea-?"

"Explosion!" Luke's lungs burned with the heat that he failed to defend himself against, and fire consumed him. Once he regained vision, his instinct kicked in at the sight of the red ring.

"Begone!" He cried, targeting Asch and raising his sword. "Burning Havoc!" Flames were all he could see until it turned to mist.

Soon all the fire cleared and the two faced each other again, exhaustion not visible. "Where'd you learn that?"

"Not telling," Luke said quietly, twisting his sword with his wrist. They dashed to each other and exchanged sword blows, guards, and dodges. Luke observed the battle carefully. _He doesn't fight the same as me. I guess even though we're the same, we trained under different people. So why can't we _be_ different people?_

"Shadow Fury!" Luke barely deflected the attack, losing his balance. Asch saw this opening and knocked him to the floor. Luke hit the stone full-force and cringed in pain. This was going to be a long fight if he didn't step up soon. "Come on!"

"Shut up!" Luke bit back, jumping to his feet and swinging his sword blindly. Asch weaved between the strikes easily. When he finally grazed the opponent, it drew minimal blood, and Asch even laughed.

"You'll have to do better than that."

Luke felt his eyes tear up. He didn't want to die here and now, to his original. He needed help, or he needed a miracle. Asch appeared to be going easy on him, allowing him another lacking cut. "Dammit!"

_"Your blows are weak, each strike needs to be forceful and concise." _

Jade's quote of advice filled Luke's head, causing him to stop. "Jade?" He could barely see Asch's irritated expression before the sword met his shoulder, and he plunged to the floor.

---------

Jade knew Guy's speed would quickly overshadow his fonic arte abilities, so he would have to use his spear throughout most of their fight. He jumped aside as Guy lunged for him, then lashed his spear out in attack. Guy, too, managed to spring out of the way, to a safe distance.

"So are you planning on killing me?" Jade asked, buying himself time.

"I'd prefer not to fight and talk. My responsibility is clear to me, and that's all that matters." He dashed to the left and Jade ceased his arte long enough to target Guy.

"Sovereign Gale!"

"Severing Wind!"

The force of the falling wind and rising wind collided between the two, causing a small whirlwind that pushed them further from each other. Guy had the advantage still. "Demon Fang." Jade took the hit, making movement more difficult for him.

Guy could not clearly see Jade through the shower of rain, so he remained alert at a distance. The enemy's coat seemed to blend with the hues of the water city. "Thunder Blade!"

Jade knew that in rainy conditions, wind or lightning would be the most effective. But Guy roughly escaped the attack, only to the end of Jade's spear. The metal tore his arm close to the shoulder, and he jumped back in pain.

"Your loyalty is most admirable," Jade said calmly. "And I respect your cause. But it would appear that we are equally matched."

Guy pressured the gash on his arm, gasping for breath that wasn't saturated by the humidity. "Center..." he whispered, healing the wound slightly. When he had the strength to stand, he moved his rain-soaked hair from his eyes for a better view. "I'm not equally matched with the legendary Necromancer. You're going easy."

"Well, I wouldn't want to kill you."

"So you admit it." Guy readied his sword again and gave Jade an almost annoyed look. "Fight me for real."

Jade smiled and spun his spear above his head, then struck the stone ground with it. The tip glowed with bright and pure blue, and the power of Malkuth was on his side. "As you wish. But first, why would you fight so loyally for your master?"

Guy dashed to the side and slashed _Void Tempest._ Blocked again, Guy said, "You may never understand this, but there is something deeper between us than the bond you think."

"And what's that?" Jade knocked Guy on his back and lunged for him, but Guy guarded just in time. They held their weapons in strong opposition, a tense quiver.

"Jade, I..." His voice strained against Jade's force and he closed his eyes tightly. "I love him."

Jade let up in surprise and Guy managed to push him off. Jade looked irritated as he stood, and they were face-to-face again. "Is that so?"

"I can't lose!" Guy avoided the subject and the fight resumed. Jade was noticably more fierce, but so was Guy. _Luke, I won't let this man hurt you. I can't be defeated yet!_

--------

Explosion doesn't have a FOF, I know. And OMG Guy's secret revealed!


	15. Chapter 14 : Pieces

_Chapter Fourteen - Pieces_

--------

"Jade?" Asch raised an eyebrow at Luke's interruption as the boy struggled to his feet. "He's gone, in case you haven't noticed."

"Yeah, I know, but..." Luke closed his eyes. _He's here. It's like he's watching me._

Asch brushed the subject aside and raised his sword again. "Get ready!" Luke did, and Asch charged for him. The original attacked, and Luke guarded. While he had enough time to strike Asch, he tried and missed as the enemy jumped out of range.

_"Too slow."_

Luke didn't let his guard down this time as Jade's advice came back to him. _"You'd better attack faster than that."_

"I know," Luke said to him, looking around. He parried another of Asch's attacks and twirled to his other side, whipping his sword out at lightning speed. Asch was wounded, but he didn't seem to mind as much.

"Fang Blade!" Asch rose exactly opposite of Luke as they mimicked each other's moves again. Asch thrusted at Luke, who dodged slightly, but didn't guard.

_"Another opening-"_

Luke guarded just in time, and kicked Asch a few feet away. "That was close." As Asch recovered, Luke's thoughts raced within him. "I have to win this. Jade's counting on me. All those training sessions; I can't lose now!" Sights of the training from this morning, on their picnic, and on the rooftop flashed through his mind. This was it. "If I'm going to change, then I _won't hold back_." He didn't realize it, but he was talking to Asch now. Their eye contact could not be mistaken.

"Good, I want a fair fight." Asch slashed his sword through the air, as if they were starting over. In a way, they were.

Luke made the first move this time, dashing to his target. He evaded the first attack from Asch, then tried to cut at him, but only received the sound of clashing steel. Trying not to leave an opening, he guarded, and Asch stepped back.

Within seconds, he'd conjured a spell before Luke could stop him. "Icicle Rain!"

Luke took a couple of hits but escaped mostly unhurt. Asch was nowhere to be seen though. _"What did I tell you about leaving openings?"_

"Watch where I'm going," Luke noted to himself, looking around briefly. "Avoid enemy traps..." Another spell was launched from the invisible enemy, and Luke jumped aside, avoiding it completely. "And be cautious of every side." He whirled around and saw Asch going in for another sword strike, which Luke countered miraculously.

"Ugh." Asch held his side and when he raised his hand, it was stained with blood. Thankfully neither of them could heal, so it would be fair. "That's more like it."

"I'm sorry about all this," Luke started.

"Don't feel sympathy for your enemy! You could finish me off right now if you wanted." Asch winced in pain as a pool of blood appeared on the cracked floors. "Don't hold back."

_"Stop holding back." _Jade mentally chastised. Luke shook his head, fighting the battle in his head between good and evil. He shut his eyes tightly. "I...can't..."

"Then shut up." Asch straightened, pressuring the injury and yet still holding his sword carefully and bravely. Blood trailed from the corner of his lips, yet his eyes burned with strength. "I don't need you apologizing for anything."

_He's so strong. I could never get up after an injury like that. _Luke thought to himself as he stepped back a bit. _The hardest thing I ever fought was a forest ogre, but this is a real person. A real human life. I can't...do this..._

Asch had to use both hands to swing the sword, losing more blood in the process. Luke raised his own sword to strike, but froze up, and Asch cut a streak across his shoulder and chest. He bled, but felt no pain.

_"...You can't think about attacking, you just have to."_ He felt like Jade's words couldn't save him now, but he slashed at the original. Even under such painful circumstances, the move was dodged. _"Your moves are slow."_

"Jade..." This time, Asch's sword stabbed his leg, bringing pain with it.

"Time to finish this!" Asch single-handedly brought his sword up, regaining strength. Luke rolled out of the way, and his next attack was guarded against. "Surely Jade's teaching wasn't this bad."

Luke opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't say anything.

"Jade must've been a fool to try and train a defect like you." Asch was shaking in hatred. "Come on, replica. Give up or fight me!"

"Don't call Jade a fool! And I'm not a defect! I'm..." When he found he was unable to finish his thought, he attacked. Each blow was stronger, or maybe Asch's defenses were weakening. But either way, he had the upper hand. "Jade wanted me to fight to protect myself. I won't waste his efforts."

"You speak nonsense. Don't waste your breath. Jade is nothing but a coward." Asch grimaced as Luke's anger rose enough to knock his sword from his grasp. It clattered far away, and Luke pulled his sword back.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about Jade like that!" It was the instant, that spur-of-the-moment anger he'd felt, that pushed him over the edge. He pierced his steel through Asch's abdomen, and everything was quiet for the longest time. He held it there, shaking in vexation and fear. Asch's expression was blank.

"You said you...wouldn't hold back..." Asch managed, his own hands tightening around the blade forced within him. "You really...meant it."

Luke was in such shock, reality coming back to him. Blood poured from Asch and red streams were soon apparent on his gloved hands, seeping through the material. "Asch..." He quickly withdrew the blade and tossed it aside, receiving a cry of pain from Asch. "What have I done?"

Asch fell to one knee, holding himself up with a trembling arm. "So this is it. I...lost." His eyes were full of tears, though probably just as a reflex. "Maybe I was wrong."

"Asch! Hold on, I'll get help!" Luke stood.

"No." The voice was injured and forced, and he coughed up blood onto the cold floor. "Don't be stupid. I won't make it." He fell back, resting on his elbows, looking at the ceiling as his breathing became labored. His face was pale, his eyes becoming more and more distant.

"Don't die! Asch, please!" Luke knelt beside him and took his reddened hand, applying pressure for fear of losing him. "I'm sorry!" Tears fell like rain from his eyes, creating a pool of their own. "Asch, no..."

"I guess I...really can't blame Van...or Jade for wanting to...make a replica of...a failure...like me..." Asch struggled for breath, not meeting Luke's gaze.

"You aren't a failure! Don't give up, I-" Luke couldn't go on. He merely rested his head on Asch's chest and sobbed. He knew his original wouldn't live, no matter what drive or strength he had. And it was all his fault.

"I shouldn't have...ever doubted you." Asch finally looked at Luke when he rose, and breathing came easier to them both. "When you take my place...you'll have to live both of our lives." A twinge of pain forced his eyes closed and he groaned. "The rest is...up to you."

"Asch! You can't!" Luke choked through his sobs. "Asch-"

"Luke..." With that final word, Asch was gone.

--------

The front door opened...and closed.

It was never "Luke". It was always "replica."

For Asch to say that meant more than anyone could ever describe. He couldn't have said anything else and it had more meaning. Whether it was "thank you" or "I'm sorry", "live for me" or "good-bye", "Luke" was a word of acceptance at that moment.

It meant he finally understood. It meant he was wrong and he finally knew it. It meant "thank you", "I'm sorry", "live for me", and "good-bye" all at once.

To Luke, it meant everything. He felt it inside, past all the guilt of killing him and not knowing what Asch was thinking right then, he felt that everything. He didn't want to let it go, but he had to. He let go of Asch's hand, and it fell limp. His face was pale, his eyes closed in an expression of anguish. He had to let go.

Jade might be able to save him. But would Asch want to be saved? It was Luke's fault; he'd killed his original. For Van, perhaps the Score had been overturned. For Jade, maybe this was another fomicry breakthrough he could write down. And yet for Luke, he'd failed. As a replica, this death meant he was a failure.

Maybe if Asch were still here, he could sincerely apologize. Maybe they could live in harmony together and be friends. If only he were still here.

Luke was sick of "maybe", "perhaps", and "if only". He had to act. He ran from the library, tearing down halls, darting through doors, until he was back in the lab, the main room. He saw Jade sitting peacefully on the sofa, reading, totally unaware of the murder he'd just inflicted.

Luke approached him carefully.

-------

Jade only needed to take one look at Luke's bloodied clothes before he set the book aside. "What happened?"

"I need your help." Luke started, his face still wet and his voice still cracked.

They hurried to the library and rushed to the center, where Asch's body still lied. Luke looked at Jade, who stared at the body in thought. He was puzzled, but also thinking deeply. "I-I saw you save Anise before, so...can you save him?" Luke asked.

"Not until you tell me what happened," Jade compromised, not taking his eyes off the corpse.

"I...I killed him." Luke turned away in shame and guilt.

"That's murder, you know. A crime."

"I know."

"You seem to have little trouble admitting your sin."

"It's not as if _you _haven't ever killed anyone!" Luke shouted angrily, but covered his mouth at the bitterness of his comment, his words echoing. Neither of them moved, and Luke apologized.

Jade brushed it off and turned to the matter at hand. "This will take a long time if I am to resurrect him, and I'll need Tear's help. I may not even be successful." He removed his glasses and tapped his foot, a hand on his chin. "Yes, healing strength and..." He turned to Luke. "It would appear I will need your help as well."

"Me?" Jade nodded, and so did Luke. "Alright. Anything to help."

"Then I'll get started."

---------

Tear stepped onto a panel as Jade had advised, and at his signal, she began healing. The room was black, for the power they would need was all in one machine. The room glowed with blue-green around Tear, and Jade watched the process from a computer screen. This was going to be a long and delicate ordeal.

Something appeared on the screen, and Jade tapped a few buttons quickly. Tear was beginning to tire, but she didn't give up. They both knew Luke was counting on them, and they both cared enough about him to try. Tear had her reasons, but Jade wanted to see a successful resurrection.

A real resurrection, with no fomicry, no replicas, no failures. He wanted to see someone come back to life without the cost of anything. Without the loss of anything. And so they pursued, and the lights surged.

Luke, however, was waiting outside the castle; he'd already done his share. He listened to the wind rustle the tree leaves as he had so many other days during his extensive thinking. This time, he wasn't thinking as much though. Just wishing and hoping. Just praying for something of a miracle.

Quiet footfalls were heard and he looked up the path to see Guy. The blonde stopped and smiled at Luke from a distance. "Hey. Sorry it took me so long."

"It's okay." Luke knew he would have to explain what happened all over again, or he'd feel guilty for keeping a secret. And so, right then and there, he told him. Guy only gave him a look of disbelief.

"You did _what?_"

"Don't make me repeat myself. It's painful enough to tell you once." Luke turned away, feeling his tears rise again. "I can't stop thinking about it. I'm a murderer."

"Luke..." Guy placed a sympathetic hand on his friend's shoulder, but Luke disregarded it. "I...I'm sorry."

"I just feel so bad. I wish I could do something else besides donate DNA and blood. I wish I could be there, with him, so I could apologize right when he woke up." Guy looked at his friend, who was staring at the trees. It was sad for him to think about the way Luke was talking. He was already so sure that Asch was coming back. If he didn't come back, he knew Luke's pain would be worse.

He wanted to lift some of Luke's distress and suffering, but this was his own weight to carry. He had to let him work on his own. "Everyone makes mistakes. Just don't beat yourself up about it. It'll be alright." He hated how cold and unfeeling he sounded, but what else could he say? Luke seemed to buy it.

"Thanks," he managed, drying his eyes. "I guess you're right."

The door opened and Jade stepped out, his hands in his pockets guiltily. "I'm finished."

Luke stood immediately. "How is he?"

Jade gave him a somber look. "If you would please come inside," he offered, and the two followed him in. Asch was nowhere to be seen, no doubt in one of the beds by now.

"It didn't seem to take you very long," Luke pointed out. "I thought you said it would be complicated."

"Well, the complicated part is over. But so far..." The colonel stopped, looking aside. He could clearly see Luke's wavering concern and remorse. Judging by the way Tear sat distantly on the sofa, and Anise was staring sadly out a window, Luke had a bad feeling. Jade refused to look at him for a while.

"Just tell me," Luke implored, stepping closer. "How is he?"

Jade turned to him, seriousness on his seemingly darker red eyes. "Asch is in a coma."

Luke didn't know whether to be happy or sad, so he closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped. "Thank you...for trying."

"It's not hopeless yet, though." Jade began in attempt to cheer him up. "If Tear heals him constantly and I can figure out how to repair his cellular structure, then maybe he will come back." He sighed at Luke's lack of response. "Luke, it isn't easy to bring someone back to life."

"Don't you think I know that?" Luke snapped, his bitterness spurred only by his regret.

"I _know _the guilt of killing someone you love," Jade said loudly, demanding Luke's attention. He looked very angry and yet also very hurt. "I know how it feels to be furious with yourself because of one mistake. To want something back that you yourself destroyed. I have felt that way before!" His voice was shaky and growing gradually more jagged.

Luke wanted to say something, but he couldn't. He looked around, but Guy, Anise, and Tear were all suddenly gone. He was alone with Jade, in the main room, the technology's hum replacing the constant ticking of a clock. Jade moved closer as Luke stepped back.

"Don't think for a moment that you are the only one who faces these struggles. I don't mean to say that you shouldn't be hurting. What I mean is that you shouldn't make Tear and I do something to atone for _your_ mistake." Luke looked past Jade, unable to see the man cry, although he could hear it. "Maybe I'm just remembering something I shouldn't be."

"Jade..."

"Your remorse is understandable." Jade turned around hastily, smearing his sorrow with the back of his hand. "I hope I, too, am making some sense."

"You're right." Luke shifted uneasily. "I'm sorry."

Jade walked briskly past Luke, keeping his head low and supressing his sadness. "You could _never_ be." The sound of his pace engulfed the room, cut off by the clamor of the door closing. Luke closed his eyes, and all he saw were shades of blue. He wanted to say he was sorry to so many people.

The colonel slammed his fist on his desk, scattering papers to the floor. For the first time in so long, he cried. All he saw were images of her. He was so consumed by emotion, he didn't even know why he saw her. He didn't know if he missed her, but it was tearing him apart.


	16. Chapter 15 : Endings

_Chapter Fifteen - Endings_

A/N: Thank you, thank you, one and all, for reading this story. This is the big finale, and I have worked very hard on this story for about half a year or longer. I think it turned out alright, mediocre, but there will be plenty more to come. I hope you all have enjoyed this story so far, and if you have any questions or loose ends you need me to tie up, just ask in your review or PM me. I should be able to answer it. I appreciate everyone's efforts and hope you all will continue to read my future work. It means a lot that I progress as a writer and extend my horizons, so thank you for everything and enjoy the rest of the story!

Sincerely, Nakoya

--------

One month passed. Research and experiments continued, but were far more subdued. Anise and Tear were gone, but both paid a visit to the old castle that day. Guy would stay until Luke was finished, and Luke would stay until he was asked to go.

Tear stopped by to see Luke again, and Anise to see Jade. They came very seldom, and this time, they had another visitor. Jade answered the door.

"Colonel Curtiss." Frings nodded, holding a piece of paper. "His Majesty wanted to speak to you, but we couldn't get a hold of you."

"How did you find me?" Jade asked warily.

"I tried every building in the country until I found this old place. I didn't expect to find you here, but I thought I could ask around." Frings handed him the paper. "That's all." He left hastily, and Jade closed the door.

He opened the letter and sat down. It was not long, but handwritten. The words were sharp and sloppy; Peony was no doubt angry at him.

_Curtiss, Thanks to your continued absence, Malkuth has lost every battle we've fought and has experienced an enormous economic downfall. Our country will have to cede everything to Kimlasca and I will be killed. I honestly wish you cared enough to come back, but this is a war we've already lost. If I could get my hands on you, I would slap you back to your senses, but you seem to have given up on Malkuth, and me, entirely. I'm very hurt and displeased, and if this continues, I will search for you and drag you back. Signed, Emperor Peony IX._

Jade crumpled the note and tossed it. He was thankful that the Emperor was so concerned with his absence, but it would be a while before he took action on this. After all, his priorities were in disarray as things were. Peony would have to wait.

Tear entered the room. "I healed Asch again. I think he's recovering." Jade smiled, but didn't feel happy.

"Thank you."

A few minutes later, Jade was at his desk. He looked over ever paper he'd printed since Luke came, and his eyes widened in mild surprise. This was definitely interesting. Picking up a few of the documents, he stood and strode out of the room. He found everyone in the main room.

Luke, now seventeen, looked up from his book. "What is it?" he asked when he noticed Jade's papers.

Looking at the boy fondly, Jade said, "Well, Luke. Believe it or not, our research is done."

Everyone looked surprised, and Luke stood. He didn't move his eyes from Jade and felt something in him stir. Swallowing hard, he managed, "Are you...serious?"

"That's right. I suppose you can return to the manor now." He handed him his diary, which Luke had still been able to write in. "Would you like an escort?"

Luke pressed his lips together and took the diary. He looked at Jade, then Guy, then Anise, and then Tear. He flipped through his diary pages, skimming the contents. Finally, he looked down the hall, where Asch was resting in a room. "I..."

"Make up your mind. You should get back to your parents as soon as possible." Jade put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head.

"Is it really over?"

"The experiments, research, tests, data, everything." Jade smiled warmly. "You should be thankful. You can go back home."

Luke shook his head and sighed. "I'm more accepted here than I would ever be there," he thought out loud, looking at his friends again. Guy raised an eyebrow at this.

"Are you saying you don't want to go back?"

Luke, too, smiled and to his surprise, nodded. "Yeah." He looked at the castle ceilings and walls, where he'd lived for such a short time that felt like forever. "I want to stay here."

Jade paused. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. After all, I can take care of Asch while you go back to Malkuth for military business. I'm sure they need you." Jade blinked at the irony, but nodded. "I'm responsible for Asch. I can't keep forcing it on you, like you said." His smile was so sincere and true at that moment, no one argued.

"If you say so, I guess I can't really say no..."

Luke stepped forward. "And Jade, there's one more reason." He took Jade's hands in his own and looked deep into his eyes. He didn't care about the audience or the response he would get. He wanted him to know.

"What is it?" Jade felt a little uncomfortable, but Luke didn't care.

"I love you."

"What?!" Guy, Anise, and Tear all exclaimed at once, but they weren't heard. Jade blushed and thought back to the day seven years ago. How had he felt about Luke all this time? Did he love him, or just care about him?

_"He's your responsibility!" _Dist shouted at him mentally, a flashback from the first day he'd met Luke, outside this very castle. All this time, he'd treated Luke like a responsibility, like a project. Did he ever treat Luke like the person he was? Like the person he deserved to be?

He couldn't answer that right now. All he could do was look at Luke, and reply. "I love you, too."

Anise's jaw hit the floor and Tear pretended not to see as Luke and Jade shared their first kiss, their hands breaking from each other's and skimming to the other's waist or shoulders. Guy, however, was happy that Luke had found someone. Maybe he wasn't needed anymore. Honestly, he just wanted to see Luke happy, even if it wasn't with him. Somehow, he knew it wasn't meant to be.

So after about fifteen minutes of soaking in the reality of it all, Jade allowed Luke to stay in the castle with Asch until he recovered. Jade promised to return to Malkuth for a while to not only apologize to Peony, but to bring Malkuth back on the rise. It was the least he could do for the inconvenience he'd caused.

--------

One afternoon, as Guy, Tear, and Anise were gone, and Jade departed for business, Luke was sitting in the bedroom next to the comatose Asch. It was a calm spring day, picturesque landscapes of the outside ocean and clouds outside the window. The sunlight beamed in through the open pane, speckling the window sill and room with gold.

Asch's steady breathing was barely audible as Luke stroked his dark hair absently. He remembered how he used to have long hair, and how it had all been cut off in a promise to change. He also hoped he had been successful in that change.

Everything had happened so fast, it was always so many events and discoveries happening in one day, or one week. And now, Luke felt he was a whole different person. From being a replica, to being a swordsman, to being a duke's son, everything seemed to have changed. Which, surprisingly enough, was alright with him.

Except for Asch. Asch had sacrificed his life to prove Luke's superiority. And Luke was thankful for that, which is why he was so determined to save him. He wished he just could've lived. Why did he have to be such a fool?

The sound of the opening door was heard, and Luke smiled instinctively. Hopefully things were flowing smoother between Peony and Jade now that they'd talked. Maybe Malkuth would see a different side of the war with him back.

The colonel entered the small bedroom and took a seat beside Luke. "How is he?"

"He's fine," Luke replied, turning to Jade for a moment. He hugged the man welcomingly and looked into his eyes when he pulled back. "How's the Emperor?"

"I think we've managed to come to an understanding," Jade said, dodging the details. Luke nodded in understanding. "You know, Luke..."

"Hm?" Luke kept his eyes on Asch, smiling tiredly.

Jade hesitated. "After all the research and work that we did, there _was _a difference between you and Asch." Luke nodded. "Van wanted me to mend that error so the two of you would be exactly the same. But in all honesty, those tests were useless."

Luke looked up in confusion. "How come?"

"Because you and he are different, and that's how it should be," Jade stated with a sly smile. "I wouldn't ever fix that error if it meant losing a part of you that made you who you are." He stroked Luke's hair affectionately, and the boy leaned closer to him. "If Asch had killed you in the library that night, he would've left you there with hate still in his heart."

Luke's eyes fell to the floor in shame. "Y-yeah, you're probably right..."

"But you were different. You went and found me, and told me to save him. You were guilty, but noble. You acted with integrity and that, in its own way, showed you weren't as guilty as you felt."

"What do you mean?"

"Had you been truly guilty, you would've tried to hide his body and lie about it until it was forgotten. That would also make you cruel though." Jade closed his eyes and went on. "I suppose that was the difference between you two that I had been researching for so long. Kindness, and integrity. Simple things, yet so pertinent to character."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I have no idea what you're saying." He clasped one of Asch's hands and turned back to him as Jade chuckled clearly.

"It's alright. As long as you know that you did the right thing."

Luke smiled. "Yeah. I guess I did. Asch...if you don't ever wake up, I'll tell you now. I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you how sorry I am, but I can't. So believe me now." His words were weak and meaningless, but he didn't care. Jade gave him a small smile before turning away to the window. A moment later, Luke felt something in his hand. A small, tentative pressure.

Hope filled Luke's heart as Asch responded to Luke's words, clutching his hand lightly. Asch's expression became pained instead of peaceful and he shifted slightly in the bed. Luke looked over at Jade to see if he'd noticed, but the man was looking in the distance. The boy shrugged; maybe he'd imagined it. But secretly, there was a new presence to Asch. It was like he was simply sleeping, and he'd wake up at any minute.

"Luke," Jade started again, facing him. "I feel different."

"How?" Luke asked blankly.

"Like...something has been lifted off of me. A load of stress is suddenly gone." He stared at Luke with concern. "What do you think it is?"

Luke shrugged again. "Maybe...it has something to do with fomicry?" he suggested.

Jade nodded with a sincere tranquility on his face. "You may be right. I feel I no longer regret that art. I used to hate it, but now...I can accept it."

"Why's that?"

"Because if it weren't for fomicry," Jade explained, taking Luke's hand, "I wouldn't have you."

Luke kissed Jade on the cheek impulsively and said, "And if it weren't for fomicry, I wouldn't even exist. So thank you."

"No." Jade turned his copper-red eyes to Luke's sea green ones, a look of so many emotions at once in them. "You don't need to thank me. Although fomicry temporarily tore my life apart, I should be the one who's thankful. For it itself, and for you." He leaned closer and Luke gave him a puzzled look, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Fomicry...the one thing in life I thought was a mistake..."

His thoughts flashed back to the day Luke was created, then forward to the days and weeks and months they'd spent on research. That whole time, he was filled with sorrow and dread. And now, as he looked deeply into the eyes of a replica, Jade smiled to himself. "It wasn't a mistake," he heard Luke whisper, and the man closed his eyes.

It wasn't a mistake.

--------

_Jade's afterthoughts:_

_Fomicry, for me, was a lesson. It wasn't a defeat, and it wasn't a victory either. It was merely an experiment, and I don't mean that literally. I mean that in how it sounds. It was to try to save the Professor so long ago, and also, a test of my own mores and instincts. I should have known it was foolish to try to replace someone with another of themselves; that's just defying so many theories. Perhaps I just wanted to try it out._

_Fomicry, for him, was a chance. It was absolute serendipity for him, a fateful accident that resulted in his own existence. I suppose I should thank Van for that, but it's not worth it. Luke being here, with me or anyone else, is, for lack of a better word, a blessing. He brought faith and courage to my heart just as I brought life to his. He showed me how to make the "second chance" work. He made me believe in myself, thinking for once that fomicry was, indeed, a good thing. Without it, without him, who would I be? When I look at him, I see him through those clear, sea-like eyes and see what I will always remember._

_Fomicry, for us, brought us together. Not only in romance, but as friends. As opposites in many characteristics, such as intellect, and yet so similar in aspects such as hope. We were both hopeful people with dreams. We were also similar in our guilt, having both been murderers of someone dear to us. But most of all, it brought us together as people. Not replicas, not killers, not replacements, not necromancers; just as people. As living humans with hopes and dreams, with joy and love._

_As you have read this story, you may have seen that, too. Luke was always himself, never Asch. And I documented this to remember the story of a boy who changed my life. From the day outside the castle to the day, seven years later, inside that same castle, I loved him. I always will. Because he is, as I said, a person, just like you or me. No art like fomicry could take that belief away from me._

_Jade Curtiss_

_Fin_


End file.
